Resistance
by Worth 12 of Malfoy
Summary: Hogwarts has changed, and not for the better. Neville rallies the remainder of Dumbledore's Army and forms a resistance movement in a risky attempt to fight back. Novel length, COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Left Behind

There was confusion all around, people screaming, crashes and thumps as tables, chairs and bodies went flying. Figures hurtled past to left and right, trying to dodge the flashes of spells that lit the air like deadly fireworks. Loud pops and cracks of apparition signalled the departure of many of the guests, but others remained to fight or to find their loved ones before escaping.

Fleur Weasley, tiara askew, long white dress stained with the food from an upturned table, fired curse after curse at a hooded figure bearing down on her. Behind her, her new husband was locked in a fierce fight with another. Frightened and confused wedding guests stumbled around them, shouting names of their partners or children, colliding with each other and the wreckage.

There was another crash and an inarticulate bellow; several Stunning spells bounced off the hulking figure of Rubeus Hagrid. Fleur tripped on her train and fell, her cumbersome dress making it impossible to regain her feet. She heard her mother's voice crying her name, and saw her clutching at Gabrielle. 'Maman! Get Gabrielle out! Go, go!' she screamed. She had last glimpse of her mother and sister's frozen, horrified faces, before Madame Delacour obeyed her eldest child and Disapparated with the younger girl.

A strange, magnified voice echoed around the tent, over the sound of the remaining fights. 'This is the Ministry of Magic. Desist from all resistance immediately. Any witch or wizard who continues to fight our legitimate enforcers will be arrested.' There was a pause, broken by a thump as someone – it was impossible to tell whom – got caught by a Trip jinx.

'We are searching for undesirable persons, wanted in connection with serious crimes. We have reason to believe these persons may have been present at this celebration. Our enforcers need to locate these undesirables and you will assist them in their enquiries. If you do not resist, you will not be harmed. Those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear.'

Silence followed this announcement. Everyone knew what 'undesirable' the enforcers were looking for. But where was he?

Another voice spoke up, from the other side of the tent. 'My name is Arthur Weasley. I work for the Ministry. We will of course co-operate with any Ministry officials and welcome the reassurance that we will not be harmed.' Mr Weasley appeared in the centre of the tent, near to the first speaker.

The leader of the intruders spoke again, as his men moved swiftly around the tent, casting spells. A sudden very bright light flooded the tent, causing all present to flinch and blink. 'It seems Weasley here has seen sense. Those who remain would do well to follow his example. An anti-Apparation charm has been placed over the area and I can assure you my men will search the area most carefully. I advise everyone present to come forwards now or risk being charged with evading questioning.'

Gradually, the remaining wedding guests disentangled themselves from the wreckage of the wedding feast and moved towards Mr Weasley. Mrs Weasley rounded up her children, all the time wringing her hands and casting quick looks over her shoulder. Bill helped Fleur to her feet and she ruefully looked down at her wedding dress before joining the group of stragglers. Hagrid loomed over them all. Everyone was jittery and anxious, afraid to speak, but all united by a single silent worry.

They gave their names to an enforcer with a black eye who glowered at each one of them and reacted to every name with a sceptically raised eyebrow. Meanwhile the rest of the Ministry men were conducting a very thorough search of the tent and the area around it. Whilst some upturned every chair and table, others used spells to reveal the presence of any hidden revellers.

Fleur watched as her wedding cake was thoroughly destroyed by one of the enforcers. As his muddy boot kicked through the beautifully sculptured icing, she couldn't stop herself crying out. 'Must 'e-' she began.

'Quiet, you!' barked the man taking names. 'Wha's your name?'

Controlling herself, she replied; 'Fleur De-no, Weasley. Fleur Weasley.'

'Changing your name eh!' he cried triumphantly.

'I've just got married!' she protested, anger surging up inside her.

'Hmmm…' He wrote down her name along with a question mark.

It was a long night. Once the Ministry men reluctantly conceded no one else was hiding in the tent, the guests were taken one at a time for questioning. Everyone stood, and later sat, in agonies of misery, each praying they were saying the right things. The sky was getting light when the last person returned from the interrogation. By this point a couple of people were dozing, unable to remain in a state of tension any longer, but everyone snapped back to alertness when the head Ministry official returned.

He glared round at them, his eyes bloodshot with tiredness and his tie lopsided. 'On this occasion we have not been able to locate the undesirable Harry Potter. However, you will all remain under surveillance, and if any person of interest to Ministry attempts to contact you, it is your duty to report it straight away. Failure to do so will result in imprisonment.' He glowered around the group one last time, as though hoping Harry might yet materialise in their midst, before turning on his heel and storming away.

The group sagged with relief, but Mr Weasley indicated that they shouldn't talk. Instead he started to thank to Lovegoods and Hagrid for attending, shaking their hands as though nothing had happened. Only a slight tremble in his voice betrayed his feelings. Fleur's father, who had remained with them, drew her to one side and a heated conversation ensued. Finally Fleur returned and in response to Bill's questioning glance she muttered, 'Papa wants us to return to France with 'im, but I have told him my place is 'ere, with you and your family.'

One by one the guests left, rubbing bleary eyes and brushing off their ruined finery. Hagrid was weeping and kept asking where Harry was in loud whispers, which everyone had to shush. Finally he departed, still sobbing, to check on his unicorns. At last only the Weasley family remained – the depleted Weasley family, since there was no sign of Ron, or Harry and Hermione. They returned to the Burrow in silence.

Once they reached the kitchen, Mrs Weasley asked, 'Can we talk? I feel like I'm going to explode!'

'Wait a minute!' said Fred, removing a device from one of his pockets and placing it carefully on the table.

'Really Fred, do you have to carry your toys everywhere with you?' tutted Molly automatically.

'Pocket Sneakoscope, mother, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' own design – checks for bugs, listening Charms, untrustworthy types…' He examined the little gadget. 'All clear.'

'Did anybody see where they went?' asked Mr Weasley at once, still in a whisper, his eyes on the sneakoscope. 'Ha- Cousin Barney and his friends?'

No one seemed to know. 'They must have Disapparated, there's no way anyone could have stayed hidden, even if they'd used the Cloak the spells would have found them.'

'I saw them together just after the fighting started, at least I think it was them. I don't think _Barney_ would have left without the others, so we can assume they're all together,' said Fred.

'They could be anywhere!' exclaimed Mrs Weasley, aghast. 'Arthur, we must go and look for them!'

Her husband shook his head. 'We can't do that, Molly. You heard what Dawlish said, and it didn't sound like an idle threat to me. We're going to be watched, day and night. They know that we're the closest thing Barney has to family here. We can't afford to take the chance of leading them to him.'

'But Ron!' Mrs Weasley broke off with a sob. 'They've only just come of age! They're _children_!'

'I know Molly, but it's too risky. We'll let things die down a bit and then we'll get the Order onto it, the people they won't suspect. Kingsley or Tonks will be able to track them down.'

'But if they can, then so can… You-Know-Who!' Mrs Weasley broke down in sobs and her husband drew her to him. The children shuffled their feet and couldn't look at each other.

Everyone went to bed in a very subdued mood. From the landing window, a small tent was visible in the cornfield outside the house. There was no doubt about it. The Minstry was watching them.

Neville Longbottom was kneeling in thick dust, surrounded by an entire mountain range of cardboard boxes. It was very stuffy in the attic, and he felt sweat trickling down his face. He blew out his cheeks before trying to clear a pathway between another box and a broken armchair.

'Have you found her yet, dear?' A thin reedy voice called up from the square of light through the open trapdoor.

'No, Auntie Enid,' Neville replied, wiping his brow and feeling gritty dust stick to his forehead.

'Have you tried looking near the corners, dear, where the roof slopes down? She might want to hide herself away there.'

'Nonsense, Mabel! She'll have found herself a nice little nest somewhere in the middle. Are there any boxes or things up there that she might have hidden in, boy?'

'Just a few, Uncle Algie,' Neville called back, suppressing a sigh.

His Great Auntie Enid's timorous voice quavered up again. 'Have you tried calling to her, Neville? Try calling, 'dinner'! She always comes when it's dinner. Oh, where is she, my little treasure? What if You-Know-Who has got her!'

Great Uncle Algie interrupted. 'Don't be so ridiculous woman, You-Know-Who's got bigger fish to fry than your blinking cat, that's for sure.'

'Why doesn't the boy just do a Revealing Charm and done with?' grumbled Great Uncle Eric.

'Not unless we want the whole house on fire!' retorted a sharper voice.

'Ethel!'

'Well, we all know the boy's hopeless at magic.'

Neville closed his eyes momentarily. His Great Auntie Ethel's whisper could carry better than a trumpet call.

He heard a commotion downstairs, with lots of 'oohs!' and exclamations, followed by Enid's voice, high pitched with happiness. 'Oh here she is, my little widdikins! Where have you been, you naughty naughty girl? Don't you know how Mummy worries about you?'

'Thank Merlin for that, now can we get back to the living room? I'm sure I saw a Pound cake before I was dragged away on a wild goose chase over a damned cat.'

The voices receded into the house. Neville could visualise them all, making their slow and argumentative way down the stairs. He'd grown up with them in the background of his life like a cantankerous Greek chorus. Peace descended.

Movement caught the corner of his eye, and his hand moved to his wand, a burst of adrenaline making him go cold despite the heat. He relaxed again when he saw it was coming from a photograph sticking out from one of the boxes. He picked it up and saw a girl, about his own age, in Hogwarts uniform. She had a round face with slightly curly hair and bright eyes, and she was pulling a mock shocked face, in between peals of laughter. 'Mum,' he said softly, feeling a thrill as he ran his thumb across the glossy surface.

He had pictures of his parents, of course. The house was a veritable shrine to his father, and his mother featured in a lot of the older pictures. But they were usually stiff, posed family portraits. He'd never seen Alice Longbottom so relaxed and happy, messing around.

Pocketing the picture, he turned his attention to the rest of the box. Wiping aside twenty years' of dust, he found a single Bertie Bott's bean, practically fossilised, a Zonko's bag containing half a pack of playing cards, a scrumpled piece of parchment with what looked like the first paragraph of an essay on, a dry ink bottle, a broken quill, and piles of books.

He recognised some of the titles, whilst others were less familiar. He guessed his Gran must have forgotten these existed, or maybe not even realised they were there at all, or he'd have been sent to school with them rather than new copies. He selected a hefty book at random and opened it. Several pieces of parchment fell out of the front, and he grabbed at them eagerly. The first sheets appeared to be a revision timetable, rather like the one Hermione had insisted on drawing up for him in the run up to OWLS. A grid had been ruled neatly onto the page, with days and times, and topics written on in a large, rounded handwriting similar to his own.

This was no ordinary set of exams though. The topics included 'Complex hexes', 'Disguise techniques', and 'Battle strategies.' He looked back at the front cover of the book. '_Defeating Darkness: The Definitive Guide to Duelling Outside of the Sports Hall'_ was printed in bold letters above a picture of two wizards apparently in the process of blowing each other up, if the amount of smoke and flame around them was anything to go by.

A small envelope had fallen from the book, and he opened it to find a card with a picture of a cross eyed owl on it. Inside he read, _'Dear Frank, Good luck in the finals, you'd better pass or I'll hex you into next week! Lots of Love, Alice.'_ Spellbound, he re-read the message several times, before carefully replacing it in the envelope. He flicked through the book, his attention caught almost immediately by a passage.

'_Top Tip – Stamina. Most wizards who fail in combat do so through exhaustion. The ability to fire off large numbers of spells in quick succession is something which requires work. Without sufficient stamina, spells lose their effectiveness, leaving the wizard vulnerable if he cannot end a fight within the first few minutes.'_

In the margin next to it the same rounded handwriting had scribbled, 'Stupefy, 5x , increase by 2/wk to ten then by 5/wk.'

'Neville? What on earth are you doing up there? Your cocoa's going cold!'

His Grandmother's voice made him jump and he reacted guiltily, shielding the book even though she was standing on the landing out of sight. 'Sorry Gran, I'm just… tidying up. I'm on my way.'

'Tidying up, ha! There's a first time for everything.' He listened as Augusta Longbottom's footsteps receded, before gathering up every book that related to fighting Dark magic, along with the photo and card, and climbing carefully down from the attic. He put them into his room, before hurriedly brushing the worst of the dust off his clothes and following the smell of crumpets back to the living room.

Algernon Longbottom arrived on his sister's doorstep one unseasonably foggy August morning, waving a copy of the _Daily Prophet. _'Have you seen this, Augusta?' he demanded, without any preamble. 'Garbage! Utter garbage!'

'Come in Algie,' she replied, standing aside.

'How can they get away with writing this? Why do the people let them?' raged Algernon as they reached the kitchen, throwing the paper onto the table in disgust and narrowly missing Neville's toad, Trevor.

'There's no better weapon than fear and cowardice,' replied his sister, taking the crumpled paper and folding it up neatly. 'You know that, Algie, it was no better last time. People are afraid, and people want to deceive themselves. They want to hear it's all fine, to be reassured. No one wants to face up to the truth. So they make Muggle-borns into the enemy and we can all feel relieved that they're being vanquished.'

'But no one can be stupid enough to believe that rubbish!'

'You would be surprised what people are prepared to believe if it will make their life easier,' replied Augusta Longbottom quietly.

'Well, I think it's just…' Algie broke off, staring out of the kitchen window looking bemused. He rubbed at his spectacles and leaned forwards for a closer look. 'What _is_ the boy doing?' he asked eventually.

Augusta followed his gaze to the garden, where her grandson was making his way around the vegetable patch in a series of jumps and crouches, pausing only to fire off spells into nowhere. The expression on her face was hard to read. 'He found his father's old textbooks, from when he was doing his Auror training. He hasn't stopped since, all day long.'

'I've never seen the boy get above a brisk walk before,' said Algie, as Neville ran across the garden and dropped into a clumsy roll, misfiring a spell as he did so.

'There go the marigolds,' Augusta commented ruefully, watching Neville dusting himself off. 'He's fought them twice now, you know. That last time was so close… it could have ended very differently. He knows what it is to fight for his life.' Her voice grew stronger and the colour rose in her cheeks. 'He may not have Frank's talent, but in many ways he is his father's son.'

'The boy looks like he's preparing for a war,' commented Algie, rather awed.

Augusta cast another anxious glance out of the window. 'He is, Algie. That's exactly what he's doing.'

The Burrow was quiet. Charlie had gone back to Romania, and the twins to their new flat. Ginny moped around, with nothing but her mood swings to distract her. She remembered the year Ron had gone to Hogwarts and how empty and echoing the house had seemed then. At least then she'd known where Ron was, and that every day brought her closer to her own long awaited start at the school. Despite the gnawing anxiety they all felt, Ginny found the day-to-day boredom almost as bad. Mrs Weasley was reluctant for Ginny to go anywhere and kept her under virtual house arrest. Even the gardens had to be approached with caution, thanks to the Ministry guard at the gate.

A few days after the wedding, her mother said, 'Well, I suppose we should move the ghoul down into Ron's room. If the Ministry come back it might look a bit suspicious that we'd left him in the attic.'

Ginny grudgingly agreed, and followed her up to Ron's room. No one had been in since the day of the wedding. As the door opened, a boy smell of old socks and rumpled bedding met them. The room looked just as it always had, except now it had an unlived-in, museum like feeling. Ron's bed was unmade, with a comb and a discarded pair of pants on it. On the walls, the previous year's Chudley Cannons line-up waved enthusiastically from their posters.

'Oh!' said Molly, softly, sitting on her son's bed and picking up the pants as though they were an item of great value.

Seeing the Chudley Cannons posters reminded Ginny so painfully of her brother that she too felt like sitting down, but she bit back the urge and looked around the rest of the room. The camp bed that Harry had been sleeping on was still in place, and a copy of _Defensive Magical Theory _was wedged into the bin. She looked around for Harry's rucksack, wondering if it would count as prying if she just had a quick look at his things…

'I told Ronald off for not tidying this place,' said her mother quietly. 'I shouldn't have nagged him so much… I thought they could all go back to school, even Harry. I suppose I was being a silly old woman… I never really believed it would come to this.'

But Ginny was only half listening. She was investigating the room now with keener eyes. She flung open the doors of Ron's wardrobe and searched under the camp bed. 'Ginny dear, what are you doing?' asked Molly, roused from her thoughts.

'Harry's rucksack, all his things – they're gone!' she exclaimed. 'And look, Ron's Muggle clothes are too!'

Mrs Weasley followed her daughter's furious trajectory around the room with confusion. 'What do you mean, gone?'

'I mean they aren't here!' Ginny snapped. 'Harry's clothes, his Invisibility Cloak, the watch you gave him for his birthday – it's all gone! And half of Ron's stuff too!'

'You mean they came back?' began Molly uncertainly.

Ginny shook her head angrily. 'They can't have – there's no way to get in except on foot, and one of us would have seen them – not to mention the Ministry goon camped out in the cornfield! No, they must have had it with them already – they must have taken it to the wedding!'

'But Ginny, how could they have? We'd have seen if any of them had been carrying a big bag, and Ron and Harry looked _so smart_!' She gave over to a misty eyed smile.

'There are charms to hide things – Hermione would have found a way. They knew they were leaving! I reckon they were planning to sneak away at the end of the wedding – Harry's been restless since he got here, he's only stayed because of being underage and then Hermione and Ron thinking he should go to the wedding.' Ginny was pacing the room and stubbed her toe on the camp bed. Enraged she kicked it, causing it to collapse at one end.

'Ginny!' cried her mother.

'They knew they were leaving – they were just going to sneak off without saying goodbye!' Tears pricked at her eyes, as inside her a yawning chasm of loss opened. 'It's not fair, Mum,' she finished, hearing the whine in her voice but unable to stop herself. 'I know Harry is trying to be heroic and protect me and everything, but he could have said goodbye!'

'Oh Ginny, there there.' Her mother tried to hug her, but Ginny was too angry and upset to allow herself to be comforted. 'Why don't I make you a cup of tea?' suggested Molly, and Ginny nodded, glad of the chance to have a few moments alone.

When Molly had left the room she vented her rage by kicking the unfortunate camp bed a few more times, then flopped onto Ron's bed. She rubbed at her face angrily. As she surveyed the room again, a glint of gold caught her eye. She bent to pick it up; a golden Galleon. She doubted Ron even had a spare Galleon, and if he had done, she couldn't imagine him leaving it behind. Baffled, she examined it more closely. Then she realised; it was a fake, one of the Protean charmed communication coins that they'd used during their fifth year.

She ran her fingers over it – it must be Harry's, the original master coin that he altered to let everyone know the date and time of the next meeting. She remembered Harry, addressing them all in the Hog's Head at the first ever DA meeting. She thought of the time she'd spent with him during their short, ill-fated romance. As fast as it had come, all her anger was gone, and she was full of sadness and grief. 'Oh Harry,' she whispered. She heard her mother's footsteps, returning with her tea. Ginny squeezed the coin tightly in her hand, then slipped it into her pocket.

A few days later Ginny and Luna sat together in the garden of the Burrow. Luna was making a daisy chain, something Ginny hadn't done for many years. But now she distractedly found herself helping, though her eyes were mostly fixed on the small tent that had been pitched just outside the house. A beefy wizard in robes open at the neck was sitting outside on a deckchair, reading the _Prophet._

'Pig,' muttered Ginny, which was one of the nicer names she'd used to describe the men who had staked out her home. 'He's not even watching. Serve him right if we…'

'I expect there's lots of magic in place to watch the house,' put in Luna calmly, not looking up from her work. Unlike Mrs Weasley, Luna's father seemed remarkably relaxed about Luna going off on her own, and she'd been a regular visitor at the Burrow since the wedding disaster.

'In that case, why do they have to sit out there, staring at us?' asked Ginny angrily, accidentally severing a stem entirely. She threw the flower away.

'It's probably meant to intimidate you,' said Luna cheerfully. 'It's to remind you that they're there and not to try anything.'

'There's not a lot we can try,' said Ginny flatly. 'Harry's gone. He's not going to be coming back here. He's off somewhere with Ron and Hermione and he didn't even think we were important enough to say goodbye to.'

Luna said nothing, but continued to thread one daisy at a time onto the chain, taking care not to bruise the petals. She was so focussed on her work it was hard to tell if she was listening or not, although Ginny had been caught out by that before. She found Luna had a disconcerting ability to remember word for word things Ginny had said from weeks earlier, even if at the time she'd appeared to be lost in a daydream.

After some time had passed, Ginny spoke again. 'I just don't know how we can go back to school and study like good little girls, as though nothing was happening! How are we meant to do exams and take things like homework seriously when Harry is out there somewhere…' she didn't finish her sentence.

'We have to keep being normal, Ginny. Someone has to keep 'normal' going or once the war is won there won't be any 'normal' left.' She extended her arms, holding one end of the chain in each arm – it was an impressive length. 'There we go,' she said with some satisfaction, and got up and walked over to the fence close to where the Ministry wizard was still reading the paper. She draped it over the fencepost, giving him one of her dippiest smiles when he looked at her suspiciously, before wandering back over to Ginny.

Ginny watched her friend, and found herself thinking back to the previous summer. If someone had told her then that she'd be entering her sixth year at Hogwarts as the sole guardian of 'normal' along with Luna Lovegood… She still couldn't quite come to terms with how quickly everything in her life had changed – for the briefest time she'd had it all, and that just made it hurt worse now than if she'd never had it in the first place. Maybe it would have been better if she'd never met Harry in the first place.

'Luna, d'you think it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?' she asked.

Luna stopped poking around in a bush in search of gnomes, and turned round to consider Ginny seriously. 'To have loved and lost, definitely. It would be very sad to never have loved. In fact, you'd probably end up like You-Know-Who.'

'Don't you ever feel angry, Luna? Don't you ever feel like you just want to scream at the world? At how unfair everything is? At the way nothing works out the way it ought to?'

Luna shrugged. 'I feel angry sometimes, of course I do. But screaming doesn't change anything. You have to take action.'

From the direction of the tent came a yelp of alarm followed by a wail of; 'What's this 'orrible creature? Gerrof, gerrof me!'

Luna smiled a mysterious smile but Ginny caught a not-very-mystical glint in her eye. Ginny opened her mouth to ask a question, but Luna linked arms with her and pulled her away towards the house. 'Come on Ginny, it's going to rain soon. Let's go inside and play cards.' She glanced up at the ominous sky. 'Let's hope Mr Ministry Man's tent is properly waterproof.'

Authors notes:

This is my first fanfic after a long break. It is a complete story so you can read with confidence. My earlier fanfics were written under a different pen name and I have had to delete them, however I hope to reinstate my favourite, Fraternisation, at some point in the future.

This story is compliant as far as I can make it with the canon of books written by JK Rowling, any discrepancies are unintentional. I do not consider the films, interview comments, or website content to be canon and therefore my work may at times deviate from these. I have no interest in 'ships' and whilst I may refer to canon ships where necessary, romance is not an important element in my work.

I am aware that Ginny Weasley is a character that divides the fandom. Personally I feel ambivalent towards her. I hope that readers from both camps will be able to read and enjoy the story along with her part in it. Regardless of how anyone feels about her, it is impossible to write the story of the Hogwarts resistance without her and I hope this fanfic fleshes out her role in events in a way that the canon of books did not.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Hogwarts' New Chapter

King's Cross Station was heaving with people, some of them dressed rather oddly and carrying bizarre luggage. Muggle commuters looked with passing curiosity at the strange people moving through the station, before they set their minds back to the day's business.

It was the first time for many years the Weasleys had needed only one trolley to carry their luggage as they approached the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Ginny was accompanied by her parents and a surly Ministry wizard who had arrived that morning and insisted on travelling with them. The Ministry were out in force around the station, looking more eager and alert than normal, as though they believed they had a really good chance of catching Harry. 'You don't honestly think he's going to appear with his trunk on his way back to school, do you?' Ginny asked their escort contemptuously.

He ignored her. Ginny felt a pang of sorrow – after all, wasn't there a part of _her _that hoped Harry would appear, with his tousled hair and round glasses, Hedwig in a cage beside him, smiling his shy smile and getting onto the train as though nothing had happened. She was overcome momentarily by a wave of longing so intense she didn't think she could bear it.

'Hello, Ginny. Mr and Mrs Weasley. Have you got stomach ache, Ginny?' It was Luna, also accompanied by a frowning Ministry enforcer, and her father. The Ministry had obviously kept its promise to keep an eye on those who attended the wedding.

'I'm fine,' said Ginny sadly, forcing her thoughts away from Harry. 'I do have a pain though,' she added. 'He's just there.' She jerked her thumb to indicate the Ministry wizard.

Luna cast a vague look in his direction. 'Oh dear, it looks like you've got some Nargle bites on your face,' she commented in her sing-song way. 'You ought to put some cream on those.'

'Is that what they are?' he asked, sounding rather alarmed. It was the first time he'd spoken. 'Those little buggers have infested my tent, they're everywhere. Can't get rid of the blighters.'

'Oh no, once they've set up home it's very hard to get rid of them,' said Luna sweetly.

They pushed their way through the barrier and emerged onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. It was full of students and families, but somehow the mood felt more subdued than usual, and there were noticeably fewer people. A line of Ministry enforcers stood along the back wall, watching sternly. Everyone gave them a wide berth.

'Why don't you go and join your friends?' asked Ginny nastily of their escort. 'I promise that Harry Potter isn't going to jump out of my trunk.' She watched him walk away, still rubbing at his Nargle bites.

'I didn't think Nargles were real,' she said to Luna.

'Oh yes, they're attracted to plants, especially hanging ones.' Her friend smiled at her in a rather meaningful way, and after a moment a suspicion formed in her mind.

'Luna… that daisy chain…' she began, and Luna smiled again. Ginny returned her grin, and squeezed her friend's arm. 'You're a genius!' she whispered, delighted.

Luna turned to her own escort, whom Ginny realised for the first time was carrying Luna's owl in a cage. He looked rather baffled about the whole thing, as though he wasn't quite sure how it had come about. 'Thank you so much, Philips,' she said graciously, as though he was her butler. She hugged her father tightly. 'I'll miss you, Daddy.'

Ginny turned away from her friend's leave taking to hug her own parents. Her mother had tears in her eyes and even her father looked rather choked up. 'I hope we're doing the right thing, sending you back,' said her mother fretfully, looking over at the Hogwarts Express as though Voldemort might burst out of it at any moment.

'It'll be all right, Mum. Hogwarts is important to them, remember. And even if Snape's Head, McGonagall and Hagrid and lots of good people are still there and they're not going to go down without a fight.'

The whistle sounded behind them. 'All aboard!' shouted the harassed looking guard, checking his watch. People seemed more reluctant to board the train than usual, students hanging back for one last hug, and there were more tears than she'd seen in any other year.

When the train finally pulled out of the station, Ginny and Luna remained at the window to wave until the Platform was out of sight. As the train gathered speed they noticed the Ministry enforcers leaving the station, looking disappointed that Harry Potter had not shown up.

'Let's find somewhere to sit,' said Ginny gloomily, dragging her trunk along.

'Ginny! Luna! In here!' A compartment door had opened and Neville Longbottom was sticking his head out. The sight of his familiar grinning face made even Ginny smile.

'Hi Neville.' She gave him a brief hug, almost crushing Trevor.

'Let me help you with your things,' said Neville, brandishing his wand with a look of intense concentration. '_Mobilius!_ I came of age this summer,' he added, as the trunks made a very wobbling journey from floor to luggage racks. One of the boxes in Ginny's pile let out an alarming yowl at being moved, causing Neville to jump and the trunk to fall several inches.

'Sorry, that'll be Crookshanks. It took me half an hour to get him in there in the first place,' Ginny explained.

'Hermione's cat?' asked Neville, tucking the last box carefully on the rack with a look of relief, and moving to shut the compartment door. 'Have you seen her? Where is she? Is she OK?' He paused in his eager questioning, and held up a hand. 'Wait,' he added, lifting his wand. He proceeded to cast muffling charms all around the compartment. 'Just in case,' he said grimly.

'I don't know,' replied Ginny. She hesitated. 'Are you sure these charms will hold, Neville?'

The older boy nodded. 'I've been practicing all summer, as soon as I had my birthday. Any sorts of spells that might be useful to protect ourselves or to fight. I had a feeling we might not get many chances to talk without being overheard.'

Ginny hesitated, then continued. 'Like I say, I don't know where Hermione is. Her and Ron and Harry have all gone off somewhere, on some mission, and no one knows where they are.' Seeing the alarmed look on Neville's face she added, 'The last we heard, they were all OK. And judging by the number of people looking for Harry, I think we can safely assume the Ministry or the Death Eaters haven't caught up with them yet.'

'Blimey,' said Neville. 'I mean, I assumed Harry wouldn't be coming back, but at the same time you sort of still expect it all to be the same as it's always been.'

Ginny nodded grimly. 'I know exactly what you mean. Listen, the story about Ron is that he's at home with spattergroit – obviously if the Ministry knew he was with Harry the whole family would have to go into hiding. We've even got the family ghoul pretending to be him for when they check up – which they have, of course.'

'Let me guess – Fred and George's idea?' Neville grinned. 'How are the gruesome twosome?'

'They're OK, same as ever. George got hurt quite badly in the summer, someone jinxed his ear off. He's OK, he's making a really good recovery, but it was a bit of shock, especially so soon after Bill being hurt.' Telling someone else about it made the horror of it hit Ginny again. So many of her family were injured or missing. How long before someone died? She suppressed a shudder.

'Things are bad,' said Neville, indicating the latest issue of the _Daily Prophet _where a photograph of a hook nosed man smirked beneath the headline '_Severus Snape Named Hogwarts Head'_. 'I can't believe they've made Snape Headmaster – and after he killed Dumbledore!'

'I can believe it,' replied Ginny, her gloomy mood settling over her again. 'It fits right in with this mad world we're living in now.'

'Well, the only good thing I can think of is at least he won't be teaching us directly,' Neville shuddered. 'I gave up Potions thinking I'd seen the back of him and they made him Defence teacher! Well, if Severus Snape thinks he's going to have an easy ride as Headmaster, he reckoned without me.'

Ginny looked at Neville, surprised. She could see from his grim face that he really meant it. Somehow Neville seemed a lot older and more serious than he used to be. 'Well, in that case, I'm with you.'

'Me too,' said Luna at once. 'Why don't we bring back Dumbledore's Army?'

'I don't know, that was Harry's thing,' said Neville.

'No, it was our thing,' said Ginny, suddenly sitting up straight, her eyes bright again. 'It was Dumbledore's Army, not Harry's army – it was students who were loyal to Dumbledore and prepared to fight back. We can still be loyal to Dumbledore and ready to fight even with Harry gone.'

Luna smiled. 'I think Harry would want us to carry it on. We're his closest friends left at Hogwarts, after all.'

'Remember the fake Galleons we used to use to communicate? Do you still have them?' Ginny felt herself getting swept up in it, for the first time in weeks she had something she could actually _do. _To her surprise, both Neville and Luna immediately reached into their pockets and produced them. She looked from one to the other and realised what membership of Dumbledore's Army must have meant to them. 'I think mine's in my trunk somewhere,' she muttered, humbled. 'And Harry's – I've got Harry's too!'

'We might need to make more, especially if we can get new people to join,' suggested Luna.

'It's a shame Hermione has gone,' said Neville sadly, 'she was brilliant at that sort of thing.'

'I think I can work out how,' said Luna. 'I'm sure it's in a book somewhere. And Professor Flitwick will be on our side, I can get him to help without him even realising what he's doing.'

They spent the rest of the journey discussing their plans for re-establishing Dumbledore's Army. It was the best day they had spent for some time.

Hogsmeade station had almost as many Ministry wizards on guard as King's Cross. They clearly weren't taking any chances. Ginny was sure she recognised her escort from earlier and gave him an extra special glare. The three bundled themselves and their possessions into the nearest thestral drawn carriage. The skeletal winged horses stood eerily still whilst the students, who mostly couldn't see them, milled around.

They were joined by Seamus Finnegan, who was very pleased to see them. 'I was worried I'd be the only Gryffindor boy coming back,' he explained. 'Obviously Harry can't… and I heard about Ron having spattergroit, how is he Ginny?'

'As well as can be expected,' lied Ginny. She hadn't forgotten that during her fourth year, Seamus had staunchly refused to believe Harry was telling the truth about Voldemort's return.

'Dean's gone on the run,' he continued grimly. 'He owled me to let me know, obviously being Muggle born he can't take any chances. That was weeks ago, and I haven't heard from him since, I really hope he's OK.'

'So do I,' said Ginny fervently. Dean was her ex-boyfriend, and she was still fond of him.

'And I wasn't sure if you'd have gone off somewhere too, Neville, with Harry,' finished Seamus. 'I guess it's going to be just us. Who'd have thought our last year would end up like this, more than half of us gone?'

'There might be new students,' Neville suggested. 'They've banned British kids going to overseas schools, so there might be some people joining from there.'

'I doubt that,' said Seamus. 'They'd have to be mad to come back here at the moment, if you're safely installed overseas somewhere you're not going to want to come back to war torn Britain, are you? Anyway, most kids do go to Hogwarts, it's only small numbers that decide to go to other places.'

The Great Hall was emptier than usual when they sat down for the feast. Hermione and Dean were among those missing from the Gryffindor table, and Neville was surprised to find himself sitting next to the Creevey brothers. He greeted them warmly. 'I thought you were Muggle-born?' he murmured to Colin, the elder of the two.

'Turns out our Mum was a witch,' he whispered back. 'Me and Dennis never realised what was going on, we don't get the _Prophet_ at home – owls coming and going would be too obvious where we live. So first we knew was when we got this letter summoning us to a 'Registration Committee'. I thought it sounded fishy so I wrote to Professor McGonagall – she turned up on the doorstep the next day and she and Dad spent ages going through Mum's stuff. She left when we were kids, you see. McGonagall came with us to the Ministry, and convinced them we were half-bloods. It was pretty awful though. They weren't happy to let us go, not at all.'

Any further conversation was cut short by several sharp handclaps. They turned to face the high table, where Severus Snape stood in the centre, in front of the grand throne-like seat once occupied by Dumbledore. His promotion didn't seem to have improved Snape's dress sense; he still wore black, bat-like robes and his hair hung limp and greasy around his hard face. But he had a triumphant gleam in his mean eyes. Neville felt a red hot surge of intense dislike. He had hated Snape from his first lesson, but now he knew the man wasn't just a bully, he was also a murderer of the very man who had trusted him and given him a second chance.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' he said, his voice soft yet somehow audible throughout the hall. 'As Headmaster, I would like to welcome those of you who are returning, and those of you who are new. As you know, at Hogwarts we have a proud tradition of dividing our students into houses, which reflect their abilities and their aspirations for later life.' It may have been Neville's imagination, but he was sure that Snape directed a scathing glance towards the Hufflepuff table at that moment. 'Therefore, before we proceed any further, let the Sorting commence.'

Professor McGonagall appeared, carrying the three legged stool and the battered form of the Sorting Hat. Neville caught a glimpse of the queue of first years, waiting anxiously in the corridor leading from the hall. He felt a pang of anxiety and responsibility; these kids were so young.

McGonagall placed the stool on the dais and the Hat upon the stool. As always, the Hat took a deep breath and began to sing.

_In times of war divisions grow_

_Between friends and…_

But the Hat got no further. Snape had risen to his feet and spoke again. 'Yes, thank you, whilst I'm sure you have composed another _fascinating _rhyme, I think we can all do without hearing the opinions of an old hat. Perhaps you would get on with the task in hand, and Sort these students.'

For a moment there was stunned silence, though a couple of Slytherins giggled, and McGonagall gaped at her new boss with her mouth open. Then she pulled herself together and called out the first name. Neville wondered if the hat would refuse to Sort, but it went ahead. There were fewer students than ever before, although a couple looked like older teenagers who presumably had come from other schools or home schooling. Only seven students instead of the usual ten got placed in Gryffindor, and although he cheered and shouted and greeted the newcomers enthusiastically along with his housemates, his heart wasn't in it.

When the Sorting was over, McGonagall removed stool and hat. You could measure the Transfiguration teacher's anger levels by the thinness of her lips, and judging from the barely visible line of her mouth, she was close to explosion point. Snape seemed unremorseful and was back on his feet. Dumbledore had always waited until after the feast to address the school, but Snape was no Dumbledore. Neville remembered with a sinking heart Snape's fondness for making speeches, even when he had been an ordinary class teacher.

'Once again, welcome all, at this most exciting point in our school's history. Those of you who are new here, should already be familiar with our school's fine reputation and place at the centre of British wizardry. Hogwarts has a proud history, and now we begin this new chapter for Hogwarts, the future too is bright.

There have been changes, of course. Some of our students have chosen not to return,' he looked meaningfully at the empty spaces on the Gryffindor table. 'Sadly, not all students of Hogwarts have made wise choices and some of our former pupils find themselves at odds with the rule of law. I am sure you are all aware that one such pupil, Harry Potter, is wanted for the murder of my predecessor, Albus Dumbledore.'

A rustle of whispering greeted this announcement, along with some distinct hisses from the Gryffindor table. McGonagall's lips had gone so thin they had vanished altogether. Hagrid's giant fists were clenched in front of him on the high table. Next to Neville, Ginny was trembling with rage, and Neville himself had to suppress visions of getting up and wrestling Snape to the ground there and then.

'Until this year, Hogwarts had accepted students from all backgrounds. This, we now realise, has been a mistake. New research has shown, as some of us had suspected all along, that so called 'Muggle born' witches and wizards are nothing more than thieves of magic. As such, we no longer have a place for Muggle borns in this school.' Snape paused dramatically.

'In light of recent developments in the world, we have also decided to enliven the curriculum. Defence Against the Dark Arts has been broadened into a more varied subject, to cover more than purely defensive magic. As such, it has been renamed simply 'Dark Arts'. I am sure that many of you will welcome this opportunity to learn different and exciting magic, including some of the most complex and powerful spells known to wizardkind.

To lead you on this journey of discovery, it is my great pleasure to introduce our first new staff member, Professor Amycus Carrow.' At this, a squat, Trollish man seated to Snape's left stood up and leered round at the students. Neville felt physically sick at the sight of him. The last time he'd seen that face had been when a Death Eater's mask slipped away during a battle in which Neville had almost been killed. He sensed Ginny tense up beside him, and saw her exchange a horrified look with Luna on the Ravenclaw table. 'This cannot be good,' muttered Seamus, seated on his left.

'We have also decided that in this time of increased threat from Muggles, it is important for all students to understand the Muggle mindset and the danger posed by the non-magical squatters of this land. Therefore, Muggle Studies is to be compulsory for all students as a non-examination subject, and will be taught by our second new arrival, Professor Alecto Carrow.'

A female version of the Dark Arts teacher, seated on the other side of Snape, rose to her feet. If anything she looked more solid and threatening than the male Carrow, whom Neville assumed was her brother.

'As well as teaching, Professors Carrow and Carrow will be assisting me in ensuring that discipline is strongly enforced in our school. For many years I have taught at Hogwarts and watched students get away with behaviour that is not only forbidden, but that places themselves and others in danger. As a school, we have a duty to instil a sense of responsibility and duty in our pupils, for them to grow up to be fully functioning members of society. Therefore I advise you all,' again Snape seemed to look directly at Neville and Ginny, 'to act in a manner which befits the venerability of the school you represent.'

'I think I'm going to be sick with rage,' whispered Ginny, and she did look rather green. Neville couldn't even find the words to respond, he was dumbstruck with horror. But Snape was still talking.

'Now I ask you all to think for a moment, of the gift you possess. Every one of you is a witch or wizard, the latest in a long line of magical folk. You are the most powerful, most worthy species. You have the potential to learn knowledge and skills which most can only dream of. You are privileged to attend the oldest and most respected school of magic in the world. Hogwarts is here to give you the skills you need to carry on the traditions of wizardkind, to increase the influence and strength of the wizarding community. I advise you all not to waste that opportunity.' He paused dramatically and looked around the Hall. 'Because those who squander their gifts are not worthy of the name 'wizard'. Every one of you here, you have a responsibility to the power you have been given – ensure that you do nothing to jeopardise that.'

Snape finished and sat down to enthusiastic applause from the Slytherin table. A few people at other tables clapped rather less excitedly. Neville saw Draco Malfoy, his and Harry's arch nemesis, joining in, although his pale face was less animated than he'd have expected.

Food appeared on the plates in front of them, but Neville had lost his appetite. 'I can't believe he said all that,' whispered Ginny. 'They're not even trying to hide what they're doing!'

'They've got no need to,' replied Neville. 'The Ministry is part of 'them' now – their word is law.'

'McGongall looks like she's going to kill somebody,' added Ginny.

'She's as powerless as we are,' said Neville, looking back at the Transfiguration teacher, who was saying something to Hagrid.

'They're going to teach us Dark magic,' said Seamus. 'And Muggle Studies, what a weird combination. You'd think they'd want us to stop studying Muggles.'

'You heard what Snape said, it's to warn us of the _dangers_ posed to us all by them,' snorted Ginny. 'Wait till Mum and Dad hear about this – they'll go mad.'

'It's a declaration of war,' said Neville quietly.

'What?' asked Seamus, who hadn't been part of their earlier conversation.

'A declaration of war, by Snape.' Neville looked back at the new Headmaster, sitting smugly at the High Table. 'Well, if it's war he wants, he's going to get it. I'm going to fight him every step of the way.'

Ginny corrected him. '_We're _going to fight him every step of the way.'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Dark Arts and Muggle Studies

When the Gryffindors arrived in their Common Room after the start-of-term feast, they were met by an unpleasant surprise. The wall above the fireplace now displayed a giant poster of Snape, glowering down at them all. It bore the heading, 'Discipline is the Key to Success', and 'Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts School,' was printed at the bottom.

Neville and Ginny's efforts to add a moustache, devil horns and a speech bubble reading 'I killed Dumbledore' all failed – it was charmed to be unalterable, and likewise it resisted all attempts to remove it from the wall. In the end they enlisted the help of their housemates to cover it up with one of the big red and gold banners they used at Quidditch matches.

The Snape poster and their failure to spoil it seemed to have a big effect on Ginny, who became quiet and withdrawn for the rest of the evening. It was so unlike her that Neville devoted himself to trying to cheer her up and get her talking, but it was useless. 'Hermione would have found a way to get past the enchantments on that poster,' she said softly at one point, and at another, 'Ron and Harry would have gone mad to see it, perhaps it's just as well they're not here.'

Eventually they both went to their separate beds with Ginny still sunk in gloom and Neville not feeling much better. His positive mood on the train had evaporated fast. His heart sank further at the sight of his dormitory, with three bare, empty beds. He'd never have believed even one year ago that only he and Seamus would be left of the five boys in their dorm.

Both lay awake long into the night, turning things over in their minds. Ginny had a sense of deep hopelessness that she'd never experienced before. Being back at Hogwarts had brought home fully to her the awful reality of everything. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus properly on anything. Even the thought of restarting Dumbledore's Army didn't inspire her as it had on the train.

Neville meanwhile found himself worrying about his absent friends. He tried to imagine Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dean, out there somewhere on the run. He wondered if the four would manage to meet up. He couldn't stop trying to work out how they were eating, where they were sleeping, how on earth they were remaining hidden. And what did they do all day? He imagined Hermione drawing up a timetable, and nearly laughed. Then it hit him fully, how far they were out of their depth – bossy, well-meaning Hermione, Ron the eternal sidekick, and Harry the very reluctant hero.

He couldn't stop himself thinking, 'How long have they got?' Every time he tried to push the thought away before his mind could form the unavoidable answer. _Not long._

On that unhappy train of thought Neville Longbottom finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

Ginny and Luna started the following day back in the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall was organising their timetables. 'I wanted to be an Auror,' Ginny confided in Luna. 'But there's no way I'm letting that jerk Carrow teach me 'Dark Arts'. I suppose I'd better go with whatever is going to help me survive. Not that I'm sure any of this stuff will.' She still felt heavy and hopeless. The way that the horrible huge picture of Snape had continued to stare out at her no matter what she tried had seemed to break something inside her.

Luna was humming tunelessly, apparently unaware of her surroundings. 'You know, you shouldn't let too much negative energy build up inside you. You should let it all out with a big sigh.' She took a deep breath and blew it out so noisily that several people turned to stare at them. 'Sometimes it helps if you make a moaning sound at the same time,' she added conversationally.

Before Luna could demonstrate the moaning, Ginny interrupted hastily with, 'I do like your earrings, where are they from?'

'Oh, these? They're bezoars. Very useful to have a couple handy in case someone tries to poison you,' she explained, beaming. 'I can make you a pair if you like? I'll owl Daddy and see if he has any more.'

'Er, thanks,' said Ginny. She wasn't sure she wanted a pair of bezoar earrings, but at least Luna had made her feel like smiling.

When McGonagall called Luna forwards, a couple of people sniggered. 'Miss Lovegood,' began the Deputy Headmistress, reading from a parchment. 'You've put down to do Defence Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, Study of Ancient Runes, and Charms. Let's see…' She studied the parchment carefully, then looked up, surprised. 'Miss Lovegood, you do realise that with nine Outstanding OWLs, you may choose whichever subjects you wish.'

A murmur of surprise ran through the students behind them. Ginny heard someone say in a loud whisper, 'How did she do that? She wrote about Snorkacks in Care of Magical Creatures and they don't exist! She barely even made it to the Charms exam because she was collecting flowers and forgot the time!'

Luna herself just smiled serenely. 'Yes, that's lucky, isn't it,' she commented. 'I'd rather not take the Dark Arts now, though. I think I'll do Astronomy instead.'

McGonagall looked exasperated. 'Miss Lovegood, with grades like these, you should really consider more… challenging subjects. Transfiguration for example…'

'Oh no,' Luna cut her off. 'I'm afraid I've never really seen the point in Transfiguration. All that turning gerbils into tea cosies – it doesn't seem very useful.' She smiled up at McGonagall, who for once was speechless. Finally the teacher said 'very well' in a rather weak voice, and tapped her wand against Luna's timetable.

When it came to Ginny's turn, she found herself at a loss. She'd put down for the 'big five' of Herbology, Transfiguration, DADA, Charms and Potions, but now she couldn't find enthusiasm for any of them. Like Luna, she had no desire to be taught Dark Arts by Amycus Carrow. She listened to McGonagall checking off her subjects against her grades – which were good enough to do what she wanted to – and found herself wondering what relevance it had to her life now what subjects she took. There was a reasonable chance she wouldn't even be at school in two years' time to do the exams.

'Professor,' she said suddenly, just as McGonagall was about to set her timetable. 'Wait. I've… I've changed my mind.' McGonagall raised a single eyebrow at this. 'I want to do the same as Luna.'

McGonagall put down the parchment and her wand. 'Now really, Weasley, this is silly. 'The same as Luna' is not a recognised career pathway. This is your future we are talking about; one thing we're always very clear about is that subject choice shouldn't be influenced by friends.'

Ginny shrugged. 'Most of my friends aren't even able to finish school,' she pointed out. 'What's wrong with wanting to spend time with one of the few remaining friends I've got left?' She wasn't going to add that she sometimes felt the only way she'd stay sane was by sticking with her unconventional friend – she wasn't sure she wanted to admit it even to herself.

On the way out, Luna hugged her in glee. 'I can't believe we're going to be in all the same classes,' she said happily. 'Friends forever,' she added, hugging Ginny again.

For a moment Ginny thought she was going to cry. But she bit her lip and followed Luna to Care of Magical Creatures.

Meanwhile, Neville and Seamus had found their new timetables on their bedside tables when they awoke. A quick check revealed they had Dark Arts in the morning, followed by a free period and then Muggle Studies. 'Double Carrows,' groaned Seamus. Neville found himself instinctively looking up to compare timetables with Harry, Ron and Dean, but was faced by an empty room.

The Dark Arts classroom had continued the slide in décor that had begun with Snape. It was darker than ever and the pictures on the walls were even more horrible. There were things there so unpleasant that he couldn't bear to look. Amycus Carrow – Neville couldn't give him the wholly undeserved 'Professor' title in his thoughts – was sitting at the front of the classroom, grinning his moronic and nasty smile at the students assembling in front of him.

Malfoy sat at the back as had the previous year, and again Neville noted he seemed less enthusiastic than he'd expected. Crabbe and Goyle on the other hand were positively rubbing their hands together in glee. He could tell from the expressions of most of the rest of the class that their feelings were much like his. He caught the eye of Lavender Brown, who pulled a miserable face.

Carrow rose from his seat and began to speak. He had a wheezy voice which brought to mind unpleasant images of bubbling phlegm. 'Welcome, year seven, to the Dark Arts. I am going to teach you magic which will blow your tiny minds!' He gave a giggle. 'Today we're going to start with curses. The stuff I'm gonna show you, no one will ever dare nick your things again!' He beamed round, looking very pleased with himself.

Neville heard Crabbe say, 'Cool!' in a loud whisper. He exchanged a glance with Seamus. Carrow was unpacking a box onto a table in front of his desk. Some of the items were clearly recognisable, others he'd never seen before.

'Everyone can choose something from this stuff here to put a curse on,' Carrow told them. He held up a strange grey object covered in brightly coloured rubber buttons. 'This is a Muggle thing they use for changing the pictures on the telly box.' Several people laughed at this.

'But Professor,' objected Ernie Macmillan, 'Isn't it against the law to enchant Muggle artefacts?'

Carrow laughed so hard it sounded like he was breathing through a bellows. 'No one's bothered about them stupid laws now, boy!' he chuckled. 'Now everyone come and get a thing and we'll get on to the fun stuff.'

'This is most irregular,' Ernie muttered to Neville and Seamus as they made their way to the front. 'I'm sure the Ministry would have something to say!'

Neville surveyed the range of objects available to them. 'I reckon all of this is stuff Muggles could use,' he said, looking to half-blooded Seamus for confirmation. 'Muggles wear necklaces and so on, don't they?'

'Course they do,' replied Seamus, frowning. 'And what's the betting after we've cursed all this it somehow finds its way back into Muggle hands?'

'But that would be illegal! Not to mention immoral!' said Ernie, looking horrified that anyone could suggest such a thing.

'I don't think morals are high on Carrow's priority list,' said Neville grimly, selecting a tarnished looking bracelet. For once he felt glad that his spell probably wouldn't work.

The lesson didn't go very well. Carrow kept forgetting the curse he was trying to teach them, and having to go back a step because he'd done it wrong. Goyle had selected a bizarre wood and metal contraption, which Seamus informed Neville was a 'mousetrap', and managed to get his fingers stuck in it. The lesson degenerated into Goyle running round bellowing in pain and waving his hand. Crabbe went to help him and got hit in the face by Goyle's flailing arm, after which Crabbe added to the general pandemonium by blundering around with blood spurting from his nose.

Most Hogwarts teachers could have released Goyle's hand and stopped Crabbe's bleeding nose with a wave of the wand, but Carrow didn't seem to know what to do. He tried to get Crabbe to sit down, but only managed to put his hand onto Malfoy's freshly cursed rubber duck. Of the whole class, Malfoy seemed to be the only person who had placed his curse successfully, and as a result Carrow erupted immediately in huge red boils.

Several people began laughing. Carrow screamed at the class to, 'Shut yer stupid faces!' and threw out a hex. Everyone screamed and ducked, shocked that a teacher would try to hex his own students. He stumbled out of the room and was seen running along the corridor in the direction of the hospital wing.

'Great start to the year,' commented Neville to Seamus, Parvati and Lavender as they left the classroom, having first tidied away their poorly cursed objects before the next class arrived.

'It's a complete disaster,' sniffed Parvati. 'I only came back this year because I want to finish my education; with that idiot teaching us that's one subject I'll never pass. My parents really didn't want me and Padma to come back at all but now we're of age they couldn't stop us. My Dad was at Hogwarts with Carrow, he said that Carrow didn't even pass his own NEWTs, not to mention being the nastiest bully in the school.'

'He's worse than Umbridge,' said Lavender. 'At least the theory stuff Umbridge did was OK for our exam, even if it wasn't much use in real life. And at least she didn't actually teach us to do dark magic.'

'I wish Harry was still here,' said Parvati sadly. 'He could teach us some more defence. We could start up Dumbledore's Army again.'

Neville glanced around and then said, 'Listen, Ginny and Luna and I were talking about that. We think we should restart it – I mean, I know Harry's not here, but there's still quite a lot of us. We could practice defence and think of things to make Snape's life difficult.'

'Sounds good to me,' agreed Parvati, brightening up a bit. 'I used to enjoy our DA meetings. I'll get Padma to spread the word in Ravenclaw. Next weekend is Hogsmeade, shall we meet in the Hog's Head like we used to?'

Neville agreed and they parted ways, Lavender and Parvati on their way to Divination, Neville and Seamus to a free period. They spent their time in the Common Room practicing disarming and simple jinxes. 'Blimey, you're really good at this stuff nowadays Neville!' said Seamus breathlessly, after Neville had once again floored him with a Trip jinx. Neville noted the surprise in Seamus' voice – Neville had never been really good at anything other than Herbology.

'I've just practiced a lot,' he said modestly, helping his friend to his feet. 'I've had to try and fight Death Eaters twice now, and both times I promised myself if I survived I'd get better.'

'Intense,' commented Seamus. He checked his watch and groaned. 'It's nearly time for Muggle Studies, I suppose we'd better go.'

The Muggle Studies classroom was located on the first floor, up a particularly tricky moving staircase. The room wasn't really big enough for the whole seventh year to sit in; generally only small numbers of students took the subject. Now everyone was crammed in, two to a desk, and the air was stuffy with the heat of too many bodies in too small a space.

Alecto Carrow stood at the front of the class in front of a white screen. Once everyone had uncomfortably squeezed into their seats, she flicked her wand. An image appeared of a pair of Muggles dressed in what Neville recognised as trousers and tops with long sleeves and what appeared to be a metal line up the middle. The clothes were in eye-wateringly bright colours with strange symbols on. The man had a big tick on his top, which stretched round his huge belly, the woman had the word 'Reebok' written across her enormous bust.

Both had vacant looks, the woman with her mouth hanging open. She was holding one of those plastic bags that they sometimes saw littering the countryside; that too had an incomprehensible word written on it and a symbol. 'Muggles,' said Carrow, her tone heavy with contempt. 'What do people notice about them?'

There was a reluctant silence, until eventually Ernie Macmillan, unable to bear not answering a question, raised his hand. 'They've got words written on everything,' he said.

'That's right,' said Carrow, smiling unpleasantly. 'And why do we think that is?'

There was silence from the class, so Carrow eventually supplied the answer herself. 'Because they're too stupid to know what things are if they don't have the name written on,' she explained. 'What else?'

Malfoy called out, 'They're fat and ugly.'

'Good, well done.' Carrow nodded. 'Muggles are fat and ugly and also dirty.'

'She's hardly one to talk,' muttered Seamus.

'What was that?' asked Carrow sharply. 'Do you have something you want to share, boy?'

Seamus blushed but held his own. 'Some wizards are fat and ugly,' he said boldly. 'Doesn't mean we all are.'

Carrow's upper lip curled in contempt. 'Detention!' she cried.

'Why?' asked Seamus, as a murmur of consternation passed round the class.

'Because I said so,' replied Carrow, sneering. 'Now, I've brought some Muggle food and drink in so you can all see why Muggles are so fat and nasty. Form a queue.'

With some difficulty due to the small size of the room, the class managed to form a straggly line around the edge. Carrow handed each person a tiny goblet containing a dark brown liquid with little bubbles rising to the top, and three round, flat, golden coloured disks. Neville sniffed at the drink suspiciously, wondering if Carrow planned to poison them all. It had a horrible, toxic smell and look about it.

'The drink is called 'Coaler' because it is made of coal, and the food – if you can call it that – is called 'crisps'. This is what Muggles eat and drink all the time,' explained Carrow. Neville noticed she had put on gloves in order to handle the food. The Coaler came in a huge bottle made of what seemed to be flexible glass, whilst the crisps were from a lurid shiny packet with more words on and a picture of some rather nicer looking golden discs.

Cautiously, Neville took a sip of the black liquid. It had a strangely sharp feeling against his mouth, followed by a wash of overwhelming sweetness and a horrible taste. Involuntarily, he pulled a face. On the other side of the room, Malfoy was doing a lot of exaggerated gagging. The crisps were just as nasty, they seemed to be covered in a poisonous tasting dust that coated his tongue. He drank some Coaler to try and get rid of the taste, and shuddered again.

Carrow looked thoroughly satisfied. 'Muggles guzzle this stuff in huge quantities every day, along with other things too dangerous and nasty to give to wizards,' she told them. Several people knocked their Coaler cups over on purpose to avoid drinking it. Neville half expected it to corrode the floor. 'This shows how stupid Muggles are. They are like animals, eating and drinking anything without any understanding or thought to taste. Because of this, they are fat and smelly, their skin is covered in spots, and their bodies weak. Most Muggles in this country die before they reach 80.'

A gasp went round the room at that. 'That's so young!' whispered Lavender loudly.

Neville noticed that Seamus looked very angry, as though he might attack Carrow at any moment. Fortunately, it was the end of the lesson and Neville got him out before he got himself into any more detentions. 'It's all lies!' exploded Seamus, as soon as they left the room. 'Muggles don't eat that all time; most Muggles eat normal food like we do! Cola and crisps are a snack – a bit like butterbeer and Fizzing Whizzbees. She's taking stuff and making it sound worse than it is!'

'You've got to admit though, that 'Coaler' was pretty nasty,' said Ernie.

Seamus turned on him and grabbed him by his collar. 'Are you saying Muggles are nasty? My Dad's a Muggle!'

'Now, hang on!' spluttered Ernie, trying to free himself, as Neville pulled Seamus off. Malfoy was walking just behind them and overtook them, sniggering. 'I wouldn't shout about being related to a Muggle if I were you, Finnigan,' he called back, and Neville had to trip Seamus again to stop him attacking Malfoy.

After Seamus gave Ernie a rather grudging apology, Neville distracted the indignant Hufflepuff by telling him about the plans to restart the DA. Ernie seemed quite pleased by the idea. 'I'll tell the others – though it's only Zacharias Smith and Susan that are left from Hufflepuff now Hannah's gone.' Hannah Abbot had left school the previous year after her mother was killed. 'But I'll write to her and let her know,' he added. 'It might cheer her up a bit.'

'It's going to take more than that to cheer me up,' growled Seamus, leading the way down to lunch.

Neville found Ginny sitting alone near the end of the Gryffindor table. She didn't have many friends left in their own house; she'd hung around with Harry, Hermione, Ron and Dean for most of the past year. Neville filled her in on the events of his first two classes. Ginny looked grim. 'I decided not to do 'Dark Arts' – I couldn't bear it. Sounds like I made the right choice. I had Care of Magical Creatures; Hagrid's really upset about Harry not coming back. He kept going on about Harry not even telling him that he was going,' she sighed. 'He was trying to make me and Luna tell him where Harry is, I don't think he believed that we didn't know.'

'Poor Hagrid. I can understand why Harry didn't tell him though, he's not great at keeping secrets.' Neville pushed his food around his plate. It was hard to feel hungry when there was so much wrong with the world.

'No. He was so hurt he could barely even get excited about having two NEWT students – it's the first time anyone has chosen to take his course beyond fifth year.'

'Why did you?' asked Neville, unable to suppress his curiosity.

Ginny shrugged. 'Why not? What difference does any of it make now? It was something Luna said to McGonagall, about Transfiguration – I suddenly realised, it's all academic. None of it's going to stop us getting killed, only Defence could have done that and they've taken that off the curriculum.' She took a sip of her water. 'Anyway, it actually wasn't too bad. There are some really adorable baby unicorns, so he's given us the project of helping him with them.'

'Sounds better than Screwts,' he agreed. 'Anyway, about Defence – we're going to have the first DA meeting in the Hog's Head next weekend. I've asked Padma and Ernie to spread the word in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. And in the meantime, I'm planning on practicing duelling and defensive spells most evenings and I wouldn't mind someone to practice with.' He looked at her anxiously. 'You can't just give up, Ginny. The Ginny I know is always fights back.'

She gave a weak smile. 'I know you're right Neville, it's just… it feels like there's a fog in my head and I can't get through it. I can't really even describe it.'

'Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey…' he began.

'No,' said Ginny at once, sounding more like her usual feisty self. 'There's nothing wrong with me. It's not like I broke a leg, is it? Or got mauled by a werewolf or had my ear cursed off or something.' She shook herself and blinked her eyes several times. 'I've just got to pull myself together. Fight back, like you said. Practising defence sounds good, Neville.'

'Good – mind you, once you've had a session of hex practice you might need that visit to the hospital wing after all.' He gave a wry smile; Neville's spells were legendary in their ability end up in unintended ways.

'Ha! We'll see about that. You're working on the assumption I won't be able to block everything.' She turned her back resolutely on the High Table and helped herself to some of the steak and kidney pie. 'Now Neville, you mentioned on the train that you found your Dad's old Auror training stuff. Tell me all about it.'

The two friends began an earnest discussion of duelling techniques. From the High Table, Severus Snape observed them with an expression of mild distaste. Alecto Carrow, perhaps following his gaze, leaned over and spoke in a loud whisper. 'Who's that podgy kid over there, Severus? Weren't he one of those meddling brats tried to fight us the night you offed Dumbledore?'

'Will you lower your voice?' hissed the Headmaster furiously, before regaining his composure and casting another disparaging look at the Gryffindor table. 'As for Mr Longbottom, I wouldn't waste any time worrying about him. The boy barely has the wits to dress himself in the morning, let alone cause us any trouble. The boy's toad is more of a threat than he is. No, of all the things I have to worry about, Neville Longbottom is not one of them.'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – The DA Reforms

The Hog's Head, as usual, was badly lit and full of rather shady looking clientele. Neville, Ginny and Luna selected a secluded corner away from the bar, and Neville bought them all butterbeers. The past two weeks had not been a great deal of fun. Amycus Carrow's seventh year Dark Arts lessons had continued to focus on curses. He now taught them from written instructions, in what appeared to be Snape's handwriting. Carrow struggled with some of the longer words and screamed insults at any student who tried to ask a question.

Muggle Studies was no better. Despite her trollish appearance, Alecto was impressively inventive when it came to ways of twisting the facts about Muggles. Seamus was so infuriated by her lessons that he'd started 'anti-Muggle Studies' speeches after the classes to anyone who would listen. Despite this, Neville could see that Carrow's teaching had started to influence some of those pure-bloods who had previously been neutral towards Muggles.

Now the leaves were turning on the trees and the first Hogsmeade weekend was upon them. Neville felt his palms getting sweaty every time he remembered he was about to have his first taste of public speaking. He had considered getting one of the girls to do it, but Ginny was prone to moments of despair and Luna was… well, Luna. There was nothing for it but to do it himself. He tried to distract himself by listening to the girls' animated conversation about the baby unicorns they were helping Hagrid with.

Soon other students began filtering in and made their way over. Anthony Goldstein, Padma Patil, Terry Boot, and Ginny's ex-boyfriend Michael Corner all arrived together. Only three Hufflepuffs remained; Ernie, Susan Bones and Zacharias Smith. From Gryffindor, Lavender and Parvati were there, along with the two other Gryffindor seventh year girls who hadn't been in the original DA, and of course Seamus. Ginny's classmate Colin Creevey and his younger brother Dennis, looking as keen as ever, took seats near the front.

As well as the former members, there were several new faces. Demelza Robins, Jimmy Peakes and Richie Coote, who knew Harry and Ginny through Quidditch, had all come along. There was also an impossibly small girl with curly brown hair, sitting next to an equally tiny blonde. Neville wasn't sure that he recognised them.

When it looked like no one else was going to turn up, Neville rose to his feet uncertainly. He felt suddenly very cold despite the roaring fire, and beads of sweat appeared on his brow. How on earth had Harry managed to stand up in front of people and talk? He could feel his face reddening and knew they must all be thinking how stupid he looked.

'Hi, thanks for coming,' he began, his voice unusually high pitched and wavering. His mouth had gone completely dry and stuck together, making every word an effort. 'Um… some of you know that Dumbledore's Army started up in fifth year, when Umbridge was at the school. The idea was to learn defensive spells, which Harry Potter used to teach us.' He hit a sudden blank and stared around at the upturned faces, all listening and waiting for him to speak. His throat seemed to dry up and he didn't think he could get another word out. The longer the silence went on for, the worse the feeling became. The quiet and the expectant faces

Zacharias Smith said loudly,'Where's Harry Potter now? The _Prophet _says he had something to do with Dumbledore's death.'

Anger loosened Neville's tongue again. 'The _Prophet _also spent a whole year telling us You-Know-Who wasn't back and that Harry had made it all up! I don't think I'd trust anything the _Prophet _says. Those of us who know Harry also know he'd never have hurt Dumbledore.' He looked at the faces in front of him. Some were nodding and looking like they agreed, but others were still doubtful. He felt desperate, how could he convince them Harry was not a killer?

Somehow, words came into his head and he forced them out of his mouth. He knew his hands were shaking so he put them behind his back. 'Harry would love to be with us today but he is busy carrying out a mission that Dumbledore gave him, something that will help him defeat You-Know-Who. But just because Harry is gone, it doesn't mean we can't carry on learning better defensive magic and doing what Dumbledore would have wanted. I don't know about you, but I reckon Dumbledore would be pretty gutted to see what Snape and the Carrows are doing at the school.'

A few people said 'yes' out loud, and he got the feeling more of them were in agreement now. 'You've fought the Death Eaters for real, Neville, do you really think we would stand a chance?' asked Peakes, twiddling his wand nervously.

He gave this careful consideration before answering. 'Anyone who's been in classes with me will tell you I'm not someone who learns new spells easily, but if you work hard you can learn anything. I won't pretend it's easy and I don't suggest we start looking for fights, but we can do our best to defend ourselves and our classmates. And we can try to remind the other kids that there are still people in the world who are trying to fight You-Know-Who. We don't want people to give up.'

Ginny broke in now. 'Everyone who was in the original DA will know that we all signed up to say we'd keep the organisation secret and not tell anyone what we were doing. Now I think it's even more important that we do that.' She produced a piece of parchment, quill and inkpot from her bag. 'And like the original parchment, I've put a curse on it. Anyone who breaks the trust of the DA will have more than a few pimples to contend with. I'm not as soft as Hermione.' Ginny said this so fiercely that everyone looked rather alarmed.

Seeing the anxious faces, Neville clarified. 'As long as you don't betray the organisation by telling people about it, you won't have anything to worry about. If you want to leave at any time, that's OK, as long as you don't put the others in danger.'

'Look, Neville,' came an unpleasant voice again; Zacharias Smith hadn't finished. 'What's the point of all this, really? I mean, if any of us got faced with real danger, I don't think _you're_ going to be able to teach us how to overcome it. We all thought that Potter might have come back to lead us.'

Smith had voiced exactly what Neville was thinking inside his own head and he found himself lost for words. Before Ginny could defend him however, Luna spoke. 'Harry will return to lead us all when he's finished his mission, then we'll overthrow Snape and the Carrows and reclaim Hogwarts for Dumbledore's supporters. Until then, Harry trusted Neville to make sure everyone is ready for when he returns. If you don't want to be part of it, the door's just over there.' She delivered this in her usual gentle voice, but her face was hard.

Zacharias reddened. 'Fine,' he said, standing up. 'I think you're all mad. This isn't a game anymore! When it comes to a real battle, you'll all be wiped out.' He turned and stalked out of the pub with his nose in the air.

'Good riddance!' said Ginny angrily. 'Does anyone else want to join him?' She glared round at the DA. No one moved. 'Right then.' She handed round the parchment and quill and everyone signed up. They handed out communication Galleons to the new members, which Luna had managed to charm with some help from a nervous Professor Flitwick. The tiny third year turned out to be Sophie Bell, younger sister of former Gryffindor chaser Katie. She was in Hufflepuff and her friend was Morwena Jones. Neville felt a whole new wave of anxiety wash over him at how small and helpless they both looked.

They agreed to meet in the Room of Requirement on Tuesday evening. 'Make sure you don't all arrive at once,' Neville reminded them. 'Come in twos and threes, a couple of minutes apart, and from different directions. Luna will coordinate the Ravenclaws, and Ernie the Hufflepuffs. Gryffindors need to come to me or Ginny. Keep your Galleons in your pockets all the time, and make sure you check them. If the date or time changes, they will let you know.'

As everyone left the pub for the nicer bits of Hogsmeade, he felt weak with relief. 'You were great,' said Ginny encouragingly.

He shook his head. 'I wish Harry was here. He was so good at getting everyone to follow him.'

Ginny laughed. 'Harry was terrified the first time they held a DA meeting. He really didn't want to do it, Ron and Hermione talked him into it. Most people are scared of speaking to a big group, it's just they cover it up. Just remember Neville, you've fought Death Eaters twice and survived. They look up to you now just like we looked up to Harry when the DA began.'

'I wish they didn't,' he muttered, thinking again of the tiny Hufflepuffs. He felt the weight of responsibility and expectation on his shoulders, and for the first time realised how Harry must feel.

Someone placed a heavy hand on his shoulder and he nearly yelled in fear, grabbing for his wand. 'Easy, easy!' laughed the newcomer, pushing back a big hood to reveal a shock of red hair. For a second, Neville thought it was Ron, but then realised it was one of the twins. He seemed to be missing an ear.

'Fancy seeing you three here,' he continued jauntily. 'Starting up the old DA again? Good for you. How's life at our dear _alma mater_?' Seeing their blank expressions he added, 'Hogwarts!'

George bought another round of butterbeers and they filled him in on the events at school. He looked grim. 'Umbridge was bad enough, this is even worse.'

'The worst thing of all is look of smug satisfaction on Snape's ugly, greasy face every morning,' said Ginny vehemently. 'He's got it all his own way, he killed Dumbledore and now he gets to play at being Headmaster. I hate him.'

'Nice to see you're as easy going as usual, little sis,' teased George. He leaned in closer. 'Listen, Lee Jordan's setting up a radio show that tells the truth about what's going on. Not the Ministry crap that's currently playing. First show's Thursday night at about eight, password to tune in is 'Potter'. Spread the word!'

'We will. I don't suppose anyone at home has heard anything?' asked Ginny, in an even lower voice.

'Well, not exactly.' George hesitated and looked around again. 'There's a rumour going round though that Harry might have freed a load of Muggle-borns from the Ministry.'

All three of them jumped in excitement. Ginny nearly fell of her chair. 'Really? When? Was it definitely him?'

'Last week some time. Whoever did it was Polyjuiced, but apparently it was two wizards and a witch, and an unnamed Ministry source swears she heard one of them call the other 'Harry'. They got in, disrupted a trial being run by Umbridge, knocked her out, and let out everyone in the cells awaiting trial. Most of the Muggle-borns got away.'

'That's exactly the sort of thing Harry would do!' cried Ginny, her eyes shining, before forcing her voice back to an excited whisper. 'It must have been them, it must have! So brave – typical of Harry, going right into the middle of the Ministry to rescue people, no matter how dangerous it was! And Ron and Hermione too! I knew they were still out there, alive and doing things. They haven't given up!'

'Did they escape OK?' asked Neville, more cautious by nature than Ginny.

George nodded. 'As far as we know. If they'd been caught you can guarantee the _Prophet _would have told the world by now. No one's reported any sightings since. The Ministry came round again to check up on Ron, they took one look at the ghoul and ran a mile, so his cover story's safe for now.'

They remained in the Hog's Head for another half an hour, reminiscing about happier days at Hogwarts, until George had to leave them. He didn't say where he was going or why, but promised to try and meet them again at the next Hogsmeade visit and wished them luck with the DA.

The three friends walked back to school feeling more cheerful. 'I always knew they were out there somewhere, but it makes me feel better to hear it for real,' said Ginny, walking arm in arm with Luna.

'Yeah,' Neville agreed, trying to imagine Harry, Ron and Hermione huddled together in a cave somewhere, planning. 'And I still believe Harry'll come back to Hogwarts eventually. Harry loved Hogwarts way too much to leave it the way it is now – especially with Snape in charge. Harry really _hated_ Snape.'

'Of course, Snape's probably part of the Rotfang conspiracy,' added Luna cheerily.

'But do you know what the best thing is? They haven't given up. They have a plan, they must. They're not only surviving and staying hidden, but they're actually doing things and succeeding.' Ginny suddenly grabbed Luna's hands and spun her round. Shrieking and giggling, the two girls ran dizzily along the path, kicking up the first autumn leaves. Neville couldn't help but smile, it was so nice to have something to feel happy and hopeful about. He wanted to hold onto the feeling and keep it forever. If only life could always feel that way.

After the first meeting in the Hog's Head, the DA met regularly twice a week. Neville split the class into two groups – the older students who had already had tuition from Harry and knew most of the basics, and the younger ones who didn't. His Dad's books proved invaluable; generally he set the older ones an exercise from the books, and then devoted most of his attention to the youngsters.

To his surprise, he found he was quite good at teaching. From having struggled himself for so many years to learn, he had found a variety of tricks and techniques to remember things. No matter how slow even the slowest student may be, he managed to remain patient. Any time he felt exasperated by Sophie's slowness to learn a Shield charm or Dennis Creevey's complete inability to cast more than two simple spells in a row, he remembered how horrible he'd felt when Snape mocked his Potions making or McGonagall sighed impatiently at another Transfiguration disaster, and bit his tongue.

Outside of the DA though, their world seemed to crumble in tiny increments every day. Each week, news filtered through of deaths and disappearances around the country, whilst inside Hogwarts the contrast between the 'old' Hogwarts and the new grew more and more obvious. Even Fred and George's first 'Potterwatch' radio show couldn't completely cheer them up, although plenty of the Hogwarts students tuned in. Throughout the school, little groups sat in dormitories or in the corners of common rooms, clustered round crackly radios.

The following day, every wall had sprouted notices declaring that students were forbidden from listening to 'illegal radio broadcasts'. Many students returned to their dormitories to discover their radios were missing, no doubt connected to the large sack Filch had been seen carrying around the corridors that day. A furious Ginny cornered Professor McGonagall that evening outside the Common Room.

'They can't just steal our things! Radios aren't forbidden items, they can't take them away.'

McGonagall looked uncomfortable, but remained stern. 'Miss Weasley, the Headmaster of Hogwarts has always had the right to remove from students any items which he deems pose a threat to their wellbeing.'

'Snape is hardly a great advert for wellbeing, have you _looked_ at him?' snapped Ginny. 'Since when did you go along with what Snape wanted?'

Neville winced and tried to inch Ginny away from McGonagall. The teacher drew herself up to her full height, eyes flashing. 'Miss Weasley, that is _Professor_ Snape to you. And since _Professor_ Snape is the Headmaster of Hogwarts now, I am obliged to go along with what he asks.'

'So if he starts killing students like he killed Dumbledore, you'll help out, will you?' Ginny threw back. Neville cringed in horror and Seamus tried to blend in with the wall.

'Miss Weasley,' whispered McGonagall, so angry now the Gryffindors could feel it come off her in waves. 'How dare you speak to me like that? We are talking about _radios_. Whilst I appreciate that it probably seems intolerable to you to live without the incessant background wittering of whatever large-mouthed nitwit presents the music shows these days, I can assure you there are far worse things. You may not have heard of the concept of choosing your battles, but I suggest you acquaint yourself with it. Fast.'

Ginny stared at McGonagall, dumbfounded. The teacher continued, 'Twenty points from Gryffindor. Yes, my own house Miss Weasley! And det…' she caught herself and changed mid-sentence. 'Two sheets of parchment on the fifth Goblin rebellion. By Friday.' McGonagall swept away, leaving Ginny almost as red as her hair.

'It's still stealing,' she muttered rebelliously, although only once McGonagall was out of hearing distance.

Two days later, Neville overheard a group of first years in the library earnestly discussing Harry Potter.

'…they say he's a Parseltongue and he can get snakes to do whatever he wants. Once, he set a snake on a boy he didn't like, right in front of everyone. He didn't even care that they saw. I heard the boy got bitten and nearly died.'

His wide-eyed friend gave a squeak of nervous excitement and looked around as though expecting to see Harry Potter bearing down on her with a whole host of snakes in tow. 'My Dad says he got possessed by You-Know-Who and that's why You-Know-Who's come back.'

'That Neville boy in Gryffindor says he's coming back to Hogwarts one day!' said another girl, also looking around anxiously. Neville stepped back further into the shadows of the Herbology aisle. No one noticed him – Neville spent most of his life going unnoticed. He was a master at it.

'Well, I wouldn't worry about that. Professor Snape would never let him back into the Castle, he'd get rid of him straight away!' The group fervently agreed with this, looking relieved, and started discussing what was for dinner before Madam Pince shushed them all out.

That evening in the Common Room he relayed his story to Ginny and Seamus. 'The trouble is, these youngest kids never knew Harry, they never saw him or met him or realised he's normal. They've only heard of him – he's as much a bogeyman to them as You-Know-Who.'

'It's not just the first years,' said Ginny gloomily. 'Even some of the older ones who were here when Harry was are starting to believe the _Prophet_.'

Seamus shifted rather uncomfortably. 'They don't know any better,' he said. 'They read these things in the newspaper, they hear the Minister of Magic saying so, their own parents too… It's no wonder they believe it.'

'Yeah, some people believe anything,' said Ginny nastily, with a meaningful look at Seamus.

Neville shifted so that he was between them. 'We need to get some good publicity out there, something to counteract the Prophet. Xeno Lovegood is doing a good job with the _Quibbler_…'

'That's exactly what we don't need!' Ginny interrupted. 'People automatically believe the opposite of anything they read in there!' She blushed. 'Obviously don't tell Luna I said that, but it's true.'

'We can't do anything about the papers, but there must be something we can do in the school to raise Harry's profile. Remind people that he's still out there.' Neville sighed. 'I wish Hermione was still here, she'd have thought of something.'

'What, like her House Elves thing? That went really well,' snorted Seamus. 'Just how many house elves have claimed their freedom thanks to her campaign?'

'It's going to take more than a few badges and leaflets, that's for sure,' said Neville quickly, as Ginny looked like she was about to hit Seamus. 'Anything like that will just get confiscated. We need something that gets around the castle, and that isn't easy for them to take away and destroy.'

'And something that isn't too easy to trace back to us,' added Seamus. 'No offence, but if I can keep out of detention at least one night a week I'd be grateful.' He rubbed at his hand, which bore the marks of one of Umbridge's detention quills.

None of them had any inspiration, and all fell into a subdued silence. Ginny took out a rune translation and began to work on it half-heartedly. After a few minutes she threw down her quill and glared up at the poster of Snape on the wall above them. The red hangings had been removed from it once more and no one had had the willpower to cover it up again.

'How am I meant to concentrate with that horrible thing glaring down at me? He's got stupid pictures of himself everywhere. 'Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts'. Ugh. I bet he says that to himself in the mirror every night.' She did a passable impression of Snape. 'Hello, Headmaster. How are you, Headmaster? Very well thank you, Headmaster. Might I say your hair is looking exceptionally limp tonight, Headmaster? Why, thank you, Headmaster. It must because I, Severus Snape, am Headmaster of Hogwarts.'

No one laughed, so Neville managed a chuckle. 'Greasy git,' he commented.

'Hey, that's an idea,' said Ginny, looking thoughtfully at the poster.

'What? Turn Snape's own grease against him?'

'No… I mean as a way of raising Harry's profile. What's throughout all the Castle, in virtually every room? Portraits. They're everywhere, and they can move from one to the other. If you could get something into the portraits, it would be really hard to wipe out. They couldn't destroy every picture in the Castle.'

'They could,' pointed out Seamus.

'But they wouldn't,' said Neville, warming to the idea. 'Portraits are part of Hogwarts heritage, and one thing that lot are keen on is tradition.' He turned to Ginny. 'How would it work though?'

'Well… badges aren't such a bad idea – they worked when we had the Triwizard Tournament. What if we painted a picture of a load of badges and put it on the wall – technically the portraits would be able to collect them and put them on, right? The pins might be hard to paint though… or flags! Little pennant flags like we have for Quidditch. Anyone could paint those.'

'Do you think it would work?' Neville couldn't believe it was so easy.

Ginny shrugged. 'It's worth a try. We'd need to find out a bit more about how portraits work – there must be books in the library that would help. You have to use special paint and that doesn't come cheap – although the Room of Requirement might be able to produce some, or failing that Fred and George.'

Neville grinned. 'Sounds like a plan.'

The Room of Requirement had decked itself out as an artists' studio, complete with benches, big windows and lots of supplies. The DA were happily engaged in painting little flags bearing the legend 'Support Harry Potter' and 'Dumbledore's Army – Say No to Muggle Persecution!' Neville surveyed the painting students, and smiled. Ginny and Luna were giggling with Lavender over a lopsided flag. Colin and Dennis Creevey were trying to jazz up their flags with animated lightning bolts. The Patil twins were telling a story about their father's encounter with a ghoul, and those around them were laughing so much they'd had to stop painting.

Only Seamus was quiet, sitting slightly away from the rest at the end of a bench, hunched over his work. Neville moved over to him. 'All right mate?' he asked quietly.

Seamus barely looked up. His left fist was clenched. In his right, he wielded the paintbrush awkwardly. 'I can't seem to get the damned things right,' he muttered. 'They end up too narrow, so the words don't fit in.' He threw the brush down, splattering paint. 'It's so bloody stupid! If Dean was here…' He didn't manage to finish the sentence.

Neville put a hand on his shoulder. 'Come on, I could do with a hand at phase two. You coming?'

Seamus nodded and got up, rather red in the face. He followed Neville out of the Room and along the corridor. 'Where're we going?' he asked after a minute, sounding calmer.

'Down to Gryffindor, to see the Fat Lady,' Neville explained. 'Once the flags are painted, we need the portraits to start getting hold of them. My plan is to get the Fat Lady and Sir Cadogan to help hand them out.'

The Fat Lady sat serenely in her portrait, wafting an ostrich feather fan. 'Password?' she asked, without looking up.

'Excuse me,' said Neville, as politely as he could. 'We were wondering if you could help us?'

She looked up. 'Don't say you've forgotten the password again, Neville Longbottom?' she asked sniffily.

Seamus stepped in. 'No, it's not that, we were hoping you could help us with something else. We need an influential portrait you see, someone the others look up to and listen to.'

The portrait preened. 'Well, I suppose I could be considered something of an authority amongst my peers,' she admitted.

'That's what we thought,' said Seamus. 'And we know how you love Gryffindor, since we trust you to keep us safe. None of us have forgotten how you protected Harry Potter and us from Sirius Black, refusing to let him in even when he threatened and attacked you.'

'Guarding Gryffindor tower is my duty,' she responded, 'even when faced with a knife wielding maniac.'

'We all appreciate your courage, Ma'am, especially in these dangerous times. We can sleep easy in our beds knowing you will protect us. Now if we could ask you just one more favour, we would be most grateful to know we can rely on you.'

'What is this thing you want doing, boy?'

Seamus explained about the flags. The Fat Lady looked sceptical, but Seamus continued. 'What better way to spread a message than through the Castle's portraits? Everyone looks at the portraits, everyone knows what a wealth of experience you represent. Let's admit, you portraits _are _Hogwarts. Students come and go but you remain, always. Please, Ma'am, I know you loved Dumbledore like we did. He was a Gryffindor too. I know you and your venerable colleagues don't want to see Snape – a Slytherin – destroy the school by banning some of the most talented witches and wizards from studying here, and terrifying the rest out of learning anything useful. It's time Hogwarts fought back.'

A smile spread across the Fat Lady's painted face. 'Very well, boy, you are a persuasive young man. I will go and speak to some of my friends. Where should we collect these flags from? I do hope they are tasteful.'

'Very tasteful,' Seamus assured her. 'We're planning to hang the portrait in the disused part of the sixth floor. We're hanging it in about two hours' time. It will just consist of flags, properly painted. We've spelled the canvas to have open entry, as there isn't anything sentient painted in it.'

The Fat Lady sounded impressed. 'You've read up about your art, that's for sure. Very well, leave it with me.'

Once they were out of sight of the portrait, the two boys allowed themselves a brief celebration. 'I knew you were the man for the job!' laughed Neville. 'Blimey, you laid it on thick though.'

Seamus shrugged. 'Shame it doesn't work on all the ladies,' he commented wryly, but he looked very pleased, his earlier gloom gone. 'Come on, let's go back and spread the good news. Snape is not going to know what's hit him!'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – The Sword of Gryffindor

The portrait idea worked better than the DA had dared hope. Within a couple of days, virtually every portrait in the Castle could be seen brandishing a pennant flag with a look of cheerful insubordination. Neville realised that for many, this was the most exciting that had happened in their 'lives'. Rather than merely watching events unfold before them, they were able to participate.

It wasn't long before the students started noticing and remarking. The mood in the Castle became perceptibly more cheerful and excited as students whispered and giggled. Some took to touring the building looking for the flags. Meanwhile the portraits seemed to be having a private competition to see who could find the most inventive placement for the pennants. Soon there were little flags sticking out of vases of flowers, laying in fruit bowls, hanging from the topmost branches of trees, and even atop a painted version of Hogwarts Castle. Sir Cadogan wore one in his helmet in place of a plume and charged from painting to painting yelling out pro-Potter slogans.

Snape was furious, and the students endured a fifteen minute long dressing down on the subject of 'besmirching the venerable antiquity of the school'. However there didn't seem to be much he could do about it. He sent out some of the Slytherin Headmaster portraits to try and collect the flags, but the pennants kept popping up again in unexpected places. The portraits became adept at hiding them and then bringing them back out to wave as soon as Snape's back was turned. Paints were added to the list of banned items, and Dumbledore's Army was also officially banned. But thanks to the Galleons, the Room of Requirement, and everyone's silence, the group was still able to meet up.

The Carrows were increasingly unpopular with the students. Even some of the Slytherins who'd initially been in favour of them, changed their mind as they discovered the Carrows enjoyed giving out harsh punishments too much to spare their old house. Detention, never exactly popular, had become something that was feared. All detentions were held with the Carrows, who didn't seem to mind giving up every evening to supervise wrong-doing students. Most students returned bearing injuries of one kind or another.

They met up with George again in the Hog's Head to share news. There had been no further signs of Harry although George reported that the Order had managed to help several Muggleborns out of the country. 'Not that they have a great time once they hit France; there are massive refugee camps on the borders and conditions aren't good, but at least they're not about to get killed.'

One Saturday Ginny, Luna and Neville headed down to visit Hagrid. They had an ulterior motive – Hagrid possessed a radio, the only one they could access since the ban, and there was a Potterwatch broadcast due. The gamekeeper was pleased to see them. 'It's meh two favourite NEWT students!' he beamed, welcoming Ginny and Luna in. 'An' Neville! 'Ow yeh keepin' Neville?'

The Potterwatch didn't contain much information, but it was good to hear the voices of Fred, George, Kingsley and Lee Jordan. When the broadcast was replaced by static, Hagrid brushed tears out of his beard. 'They never said nothin' about our 'Arry, nor Ron and 'Ermione,' he rumbled. 'Oh, I do 'ope they're safe!'

Neville could see Ginny wasn't coping well with this line of conversation, so quickly said, 'I'd love to see the baby unicorns you've been helping with. Would I be allowed to see them, Hagrid?'

'Oh yes!' exclaimed Luna. 'Do let us show Neville, Hagrid! They're growing so well, little Peverell is nearly up to my waist now!'

'Peverell?' asked Neville. 'Isn't that out of a children's story?' He had a vague recollection of his Gran reading it to him as child, usually finished off by declaring what utter nonsense the whole thing was.

'It's from the Tale of the Three Brothers,' explained Luna. 'I always liked the name.'

It was a beautiful day, probably one of the last sunny days of the year, and although it was cold the trees looked splendid with their red gold leaves. Lots of students had headed into the grounds to make the most of the good weather, and to avoid the oppressive gloom that seemed to have settled over the Castle.

Hagrid seemed brighter as he led them to the edge of the Forest, where the unicorns lived in a quiet glade. 'It's a righ' shame you never took Care of Magical Creatures for NEWT Neville, Luna an' Ginny have been havin' a great time, ain't yeh?' Ginny nodded, trying not to look surprised. 'Course, I wish 'Arry had carried on with it.' The big man's face darkened. 'He'd 'ave loved to see these baby unicorns, always had a soft spot for animals did our 'Arry.'

'When the war's over he can come and see them then, Hagrid,' said Neville. He blushed as soon as the words were out. He was so used to sticking strongly to this line with the students, but it felt a bit odd with a teacher – even if the teacher was Hagrid.

To his great alarm, Hagrid clapped him on the back, sending him flying a good five feet forwards. 'Yeh right, Neville, course yeh are! Wha' a loyal friend yeh are, 'Arry'd be so glad if he could hear yeh!' The huge man removed a handkerchief the size of a tea towel from one of his pockets and dabbed his eyes. 'If only I knew where 'e were!' he sobbed. 'Out there somewhere, and Ron and 'Ermione too! All on their own! And everyone out to get them!'

Fortunately they had reached the glade, and Neville interrupted Hagrid's wailing by exclaiming loudly over the babies. They were very appealing, with jet black coats and tiny stumpy horns. Their mothers were so white they seemed almost blue, glowing even in the shady Forest.

Ginny also seemed relieved to have something to break Hagrid's monologue. 'This one's the one I've been looking after, I've called her Hedwig.' She indicated one of the foals. 'Like Harry's owl,' she added more softly. 'He loved Hedwig, so I thought he'd quite like the idea of the name living on.'

The two little unicorns tottered over, watched closely by their mothers. They were reluctant to approach Neville at first, but eventually the bigger of the two, Peverell, allowed Neville to stroke his fuzzy neck.

They spent a happy half hour, petting the unicorns and talking about happier times. Hagrid invited them back to his hut for tea, and left them to put the kettle on. Neville felt truly relaxed for the first time in weeks. The trees blocked out the Castle from view, and he could almost believe he was in another world, insulated from the all the pain and responsibility of the real one. At least until a figure emerged from the trees, beaming round at the little group.

'Hello Neville! Hi Ginny, hi Luna!' It was Colin Creevey, armed as always with his huge camera. Neville looked instinctively to Colin's side and sure enough, there was Dennis, staring entranced at the unicorn foals.

'Hi Colin, hi Dennis,' he replied, feeling the peace and serenity melt away like a dream. 'What are you doing?'

'We were taking some pictures and Hagrid said you were here. Are those unicorn foals? They're amazing! Do you think they'd let me touch them? Hey, Neville, have you heard anything from Harry? I heard that he's playing in the Bulgarian Quidditch league in disguise! I've looked at some pictures of their Seekers and I reckon he's probably Andrei Polovsky!' Dennis bubbled with enthusiasm, whilst Colin smiled indulgently and fiddled with his camera.

Neville felt as he always did when faced by the Creeveys, exhausted. On the other hand, there was something gratifying about them. They were so darn excited about everything in the world. Even four and six years of Hogwarts hadn't yet knocked out their sense of wonder at being wizards.

Colin was already busy with his camera again. 'Can I take a picture of you all?' he asked eagerly. 'I can give you a copy to keep! And I'll send one to my Dad, he'd love to see real unicorns! Muggles think they're made-up!'

Before Neville, who hated having his picture taken, could protest, Luna had thrown an arm around his shoulders and drawn him into a picture with Ginny and the two foals. He managed to grin awkwardly.

Colin and Dennis managed to get a touch of the unicorns, before the mothers started pawing the ground. 'They're getting restless, they don't like all the people. We ought to go back to Hagrid's,' said Luna regretfully.

They all piled into Hagrid's hut, where the gamekeeper handed round huge chipped mugs of tea and put out a plate of cakes that looked like pebbles. He hit it off straight away with Colin. The two found they had a topic of conversation in common; Harry. At one point Ginny muttered to Neville, 'It's like the first meeting of the Harry Potter fanclub. They ought to invite Dobby.'

'Course, it was me who took him to his Aunt and Uncle's, after that awful night – tiny little thing, he were, didn't look like nothing special. But I knew, even as a baby, there were something about him – some hidden power. Just to think, it were nearly sixteen years ago!' Hagrid's eyes were misty as he reminisced.

'Of course, the anniversary is on Halloween,' said Ginny, her face brightening. 'Hey, Nev, I've got an idea. Why don't we hijack the Halloween celebrations – make it a celebration of the sixteenth anniversary of Harry's defeat of You-Know-Who?'

Everyone agreed enthusiastically with that idea. Halloween was the most important event in the school calendar and Snape was bound to use it as a chance to show off. 'Actually, now yeh mention it, Snape were goin' on about it at the last staff meeting,' said Hagrid, leaning forward eagerly and getting his beard in his tea. 'He's invited some bigwigs to the school – Minister of Magic, load o' Death Eaters – for the feast.'

'Even better!' Ginny's face was glowing, though that may have been from the clammy atmosphere in the cramped hut. 'This is a chance to really show them we mean business. Luna, d'you reckon we could cast a spell strong enough to change the decoration in the hall?'

Luna considered carefully. 'Not alone, but if a few of us got together we could. Snape might just change them back of course.'

'He can do what he likes to them – once everyone's seen them, he can't make them unsee it!'

'Unless he Obliviates them all,' suggested Luna.

'Come on!' Ginny had jumped to her feet. 'Let's see if we can track down Anthony and Michael, start working on it!'

Neville and Luna also got up to leave. Hagrid had got out his photo album to show the Creeveys and as he opened the first page Neville caught sight of a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione, in the first year, looking ridiculously young and babyish. His stomach clenched around the mouthful of rock cake he'd managed to force down, and he hustled Ginny out before she could see it. Fortunately Colin and Dennis' craning necks obliterated it from view.

The cold air hit them like a fist as they left the overheated hut, saying goodbye to Hagrid and the Creeveys, who looked like they'd quite happily spend the rest of the day poring over pictures of Harry. They made their way back to the castle, with Ginny chatting nineteen to the dozen about her plans for Halloween. Neville hung back slightly, not wanting to spoil Ginny's good mood. The picture of his three friends, smiling and waving from the picture, had stuck at the front of his mind. Would he ever see them again?

Preparations for the Halloween feast were started two days before the day itself. Filch was seen buffing up the suits of armour in the Entrance Hall, and in the Great Hall elaborate decorations were being charmed into place by Professor Flitwick. Amidst all the bustle Snape prowled around like an extremely smug bat, glowering at everyone and barking orders.

The DA also prepared, communicating via the coins. The Galleons were good but only worked in one direction, which was a pain when the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs needed to get a message back to Neville. To get around this, Luna had managed to set up a Sickle and Knut which could pass messages in the same way, to copies kept by Neville. They agreed a simple code of one number per letter of the alphabet, and they soon got good at communicating what they wanted in short simple words.

The Ravenclaws took the lead in setting up the spells. Neville felt a glow of anticipation which carried him through the miserable Dark Arts and Muggle Studies classes. At breakfast on the day before Halloween, Snape announced that the meal would be dress robes only, causing a groan from the boys and a lot of excited whispering in the girls.

'I don't think mine even fit any more,' grumbled Seamus, as they made their way to their first lesson. 'I'll have to see if someone's any good at Extending charms.'

In the event, Neville and Seamus spent most of the time between the last lesson and the start of the feast, trying to charm Seamus' dress robes into a bigger size. They met with mixed success. 'Dean would've been great at doing this,' said Seamus morosely, as he sat in his underpants reviewing his robes. They had managed to increase the amount of material, but it was thinner and paler in colour, making it look as though he had chiffon cuffs. 'Oh well, they'll have to do.'

Neville had had new robes for Dumbledore's funeral, so his fitted quite well. If anything he'd lost weight since then, with all the training he'd been doing. They joined the girls in the Common Room. 'I can't believe you took longer to get ready than we did!' exclaimed Lavender, who looked pretty in a pale blue gown. Her face had disappeared under a thick layer of make-up. 'It's not even like you've got much to show for it.'

'Wow, thanks Lavender, we feel so much better to hear you say that,' snapped Seamus, who was still in a bad mood from his ill-fitting robes and being reminded of Dean's absence.

However all of them cheered up a bit at the sight of the Great Hall – it was decked out even more splendidly than at any time in their Hogwarts lives. Pumpkin lanterns floated above their heads, whilst animated skeletons walked jerkily amongst the students bearing trays of drinks. The hall was bedecked in the colours of the Founders, with the big banners animated. There was even a half decent band set up in the back corner, playing what Neville thought of as background music.

'You've got to admit, it's pretty impressive,' said Lavender happily, looking around.

'Nothing Snape does is good,' replied Ginny flatly. She looked very pretty as always, but her sullen expression spoiled the effect.

'Never mind, it'll be different soon,' whispered Neville, linking arms with her. 'Look, there's Luna!'

It was hard to miss her. She was wearing robes of brightest red, with a traditional pointed hat to match, with what appeared to be live bats hanging upside down from each earlobe. She came over to greet them, apparently oblivious to the sniggers and startled looks that followed in her wake. 'Hello Ginny, Hello Neville. You look nice.'

'So do you,' said Ginny, without missing a beat.

'Well, I was going to wear silver but then I just had a _feeling _that red was a better option, to reflect the strength of Mars. Professor Sinistra says he's never seen it so bright.' She leaned in closer to Neville. 'It's all ready. Four of us are going to actually cast it, me and Anthony on Ravenclaw, Ernie and Susan on Hufflepuff. We're going to sit at opposite ends of the tables.'

'What about Gryffindor? Why can't I do it?' Ginny's eyes were bright and dangerous.

'Because they'll suspect you and Neville,' replied Luna calmly.

'I don't care if they catch me,' said Ginny hotly.

'Well, we do,' responded Luna, turning slightly away from Ginny as if to signal the conversation was over. 'Actually, I'd better get going – we don't want them to see us together too much. I'll see you later.'

'Good luck,' Neville managed to say before Luna was swallowed up by the crowd.

'I can't believe they've cut us out,' muttered Ginny. 'What's Luna thinking? It's _me_ that' s Harry's girlfriend, _me_ that's got a brother and a best friend missing-'

'I thought Luna was your best friend,' said Neville rather coldly, feeling a bit fed up of Ginny's constantly precarious mood.

At that moment Snape rose to his feet and announced it was time for students to take their seats. Ginny glared at a man with long black hair and a pointy beard who was sitting to Snape's right. 'That's Pius Thicknesse,' she whispered to Neville, perhaps to try and make up.

Snape raised his hands for silence. 'Welcome to the Hogwarts' Halloween feast. Today, I am extremely honoured to welcome some very important guests into our midst. I am sure that he needs no introduction, but we are joined today by Pius Thicknesse, Minister for Magic.' There was a smattering of rather unenthusiastic applause. Some of the teachers were staring at Snape and Thicknesse with barely concealed dislike on their faces. 'Perhaps the Minister would be good enough to say a few words?'

Thicknesse rose to his feet, somewhat unsteadily. His face had a frozen, confused appearance. 'Imperius'd,' whispered Ginny again.

'Thank you to Professor Snape for inviting me to your feast.' He spoke in an odd, stop-start way, as though each sentence had to be translated from a foreign language before he could utter it. 'Hogwarts is very dear to the Ministry. Nothing can be more important than the education of the next generation of wizards. You are the country's future!' He sat down abruptly, looking relieved. There was some even less enthusiastic applause, and Snape got back to his feet, glowing smugly.

'Inspiring words, Minister,' he fawned, before launching into his own interminable speech. The students shifted in boredom as Snape listed the many triumphs of Thicknesse's Ministry and banged on about how Britain was a stronger nation for having rid itself of Muggleborns. Ginny and Neville gave up even on pulling faces at each other, and joined the rest of the school in slumping dazed over their empty plates. They were so stultified that it took a couple of moments for everyone to realise Snape had finally said, 'And now, let the feast begin!'

Something changed in the air. In the same instant as the platters filled with an array of mouthwatering food, there was a shimmering and a shifting. The banners bearing the house emblems changed to bear a familiar face, with untidy black hair, round glasses and a lightning bolt scar. Every banner bore the words, 'Celebrating sixteen years since Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord!'

A gasp rustled round the hall, and Snape jumped to his feet again, this time looking angry and flustered. 'Silence! Silence!' he roared again. He waved his wand, then tried a second time, muttering a spell out loud. Finally the pictures of Harry disappeared, to be replaced by the snake, badger, lion and eagle once more. Neville felt a glow of pride in his fellow DA members that their spell had held even that long.

Snape was looking around at his charges with an expression of utter hatred. 'No doubt that last contribution was from our resident troublemakers. How very touching that you still persist in supporting a boy who fled this school on suspicion of killing my predecessor and hasn't been seen since. However, the educator in me must point out the flaw in your assertion. Harry Potter did not defeat the Dark Lord sixteen years ago. The Dark Lord, in case you weren't aware, is alive and well. Which is more than any of us can say for _Harry Potter.' _He spat the name with such contempt that Neville's hands curled into fists. 'If I track down the perpetrators of this, I will ensure they learn the meaning of the word 'defeat'.' He glowered round at the students, and then sat down very slowly.

After a moment, some nervous whispering resumed, and everyone turned their attention to the feast. Neville had no appetite. The last thing he needed was the whole school being reminded of Harry's absence and Voldemort's presence. He caught Ginny's eye and she pulled a face, he wasn't sure what it was meant to mean. Gloomily, he helped himself to some roast potatoes, but was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

Amycus Carrow was standing over him. 'Follow me Longbottom,' he muttered. 'Come quiet or else.'

Neville rose to his feet and followed Carrow out of the Great Hall, feeling the eyes of every student on him as he left. The band played louder. Snape was obviously trying to move on from the incident with minimum fuss. Outside the Hall, Carrow pushed him hard against the wall, knocking the breath from him. 'Think you're clever, don't you, with your Dumbledore's Army? Silly boy.' He snatched Neville's wand from his robe pocket. 'Quick, Alecto, w'as that spell tells you what spell a wand done last?'

'That will be _Prior Incantato_,' said another voice, sharp and Scottish. Neville's heart leapt. McGonagall!

'Oh yer, I knew that,' muttered Carrow looking at Neville's wand as though he'd never seen one before.

'Perhaps you require my assistance, Professor Carrow?' asked McGonagall icily.

'Perhaps you should get back to the feast, you-' began Carrow, but his sister cut him off.

'If you wouldn't mind doing the spell for us, Minerva,' she said in a sickly tone, with a simper that was probably meant to be friendly.

McGonagall looked him in the eye, a hard, steely look. She raised her own wand and tapped Neville's, saying, '_Prior Incantato_!' A ghostly grey shape rose from the wand, of something stretching out. The Carrows looked bemused. 'Extending charm,' said McGonagall. 'Performed multiple times.'

'Wa's that mean then?' asked Amycus. 'Weren't an extending charm caused them banners to change!'

'Precisely, Professor. Which suggests the spell that changed the banners was not performed by Longbottom.'

Carrow spluttered. Finally he managed, 'That don' explain why he were doing Extending charms!'

Before Neville could answer, McGonagall cut in. 'In that case, you haven't been teaching teenage boys for as long as I have.'

'If he didn't do it, then who did?' demanded Alecto.

'I have no idea, Professor. Unless you intend to drag every student out here to check their wands, which I don't think Severus would be very pleased about. He's trying to make a good impression for the Minister, after all. Since Longbottom doesn't appear to be guilty of any wrongdoing, perhaps we should all return to the feast.' She took a step towards the doors, indicating for Neville to walk in front of her.

He returned to his place at the Gryffindor table, and relayed what had happened to Seamus, Ginny, and the other girls. When he got to the bit about the extending charms, he went rather red, and Ginny laughed out loud. 'McGonagall's brilliant!' she exclaimed.

'We were charming Seamus' robes,' Neville added to explain, and Seamus held up his poorly extended cuffs as evidence.

Once the feast was over, the band played louder and the tables were cleared away to allow for dancing. Neville was reminded painfully of the last time he'd been at a Ball, back in the fourth year. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine Harry sitting at the High Table as one of the four champions, looking awkward, and Hermione on the arm of Viktor Krum. Ginny was obviously thinking along the same lines because she put her hand on his arm and said, 'Remember the Yule Ball?'

He smiled nostalgically. 'Yeah, I was just thinking of it myself. Seems like a really long time ago now.'

She nodded. 'Who'd have thought then we'd have ended up here now. Harry, Ron and Hermione gone, Snape in charge-' she shuddered, then pulled a determinedly cheerful look back to her face. 'Still, we had fun that night, didn't we?'

'Yeah, we did. Once I'd got the hang of not stepping on your toes.' He smiled at the memory of the gawky, awkward boy he'd been then – even more so than he still was.

'That was partly my fault, I was too busy trying to see what Harry was doing to pay attention. When he pushed off I relaxed a lot more.' She suddenly looked aghast at what she'd said. 'I don't mean I wanted him to be gone…' she added quickly.

'I understood what you meant, Gin. Back then you used to go completely strange every time he was in the room. You grew out of it though. We had fun that evening, anyway. Those tasks were mad though. Harry flying round that dragon is something I'll remember for a long time. He was awesome!'

'D'you remember Fred and George going over the age line and growing beards!' asked Ginny, her face becoming animated as she remembered.

'Who could forget? Or Hermione knitting stuff for the house elves, her organisation for freeing them. What was it she called it?'

'SPEW! I think I've still got a badge somewhere. She was so earnest about the whole thing,' Ginny's voice trailed off. 'You know, sometimes I think I miss Hermione even more than the boys. We used to talk a lot; I never had a girl to talk to growing up. Hermione was my first real female friend, before I got to know Luna.'

'Talking of Luna, where is she?' Neville looked around, but it didn't take much to see Luna, whose bright red outfit stood out like a tomato in a cabbage patch. She was dancing, alone and uninhibited, waving her arms around slightly out of time with the music. A little space was clear around her and several people were laughing.

Ginny grabbed Neville's hand and dragged him to his feet before he had a chance to protest. 'Come on, let's join her,' she said, hauling him across the floor. Luna's face lit up when she saw them, and she moved to include them in her bizarre dance. Neville felt hopelessly self-conscious, but managed to join in half-heartedly. He wasn't helped by Colin Creevey taking photographs from the sidelines.

As early as possible, he left the girls to it, and rejoined Seamus at the edge of the dancefloor. Ginny and Luna continued, Ginny relaxed now and laughing. As he watched, Ginny caught her friend's hand and spun under her arm, before Luna did the same. For a few minutes, they both looked so happy and carefree.

After a while, the girls returned, out of breath and red faced. 'Get us a butterbeer, Seamus,' asked Ginny, throwing herself down next to Neville.

'It's been such fun,' said Luna, her voice brighter and less dreamy than usual. Her cheeks were red from exertion, and clashed with her bright red robes. The little bats were still clinging to her earlobes. 'What happened when you left the hall Neville?'

He briefly explained what had happened again. 'But you ought to do some other spells Luna, just in case they do decide to check,' he added.

'Look at Snape, fawning all over the Minister,' said Ginny, looking resentfully at the High Table. 'It would have worked just fine if he hadn't come out with all that crap. And I don't know how he's got the nerve to imply that _Harry _killed Dumbledore.'

'I wish Dumbledore was still alive,' said Neville sadly, following Ginny's gaze to where Snape sat in the Headmaster's chair, flanked by the Carrows and Pius Thicknesse. 'He'd know what to do.'

Suddenly, Ginny grabbed his arm. 'Neville! That's a brilliant idea!'

'What is?' he asked, baffled.

'Dumbledore would know what to do, you're right. All we'd have to do is ask him!'

'Yes, but Ginny, he's dead,' he pointed out.

'I know that, but it doesn't matter. Every Headmaster has his or her portrait on the wall in the Headmaster's office. All we have to do is get into Snape's office, and we can talk to Dumbledore, ask his advice. We are his Army, after all,' she added in a lower voice.

'_All _we have to do is get into his office?'

'It can't be that hard – Harry was in and out of it all the time. It's guarded by a gargoyle, I know that much, and I bet it doesn't like Snape any more than we do. Come on, let's go now!' She actually got to her feet.

'But… Ginny,' he began to protest.

'There'll never be a better time than now, Snape is busy schmoozing the Minister, he won't be back for ages. Everyone else is busy too. It's ideal. Come on!'

'Where are we going?' asked Luna vaguely, who'd apparently been in a daydream during most of the conversation.

'To Snape's office,' said Ginny. Luna merely smiled and got up obediently, as though it was perfectly normal for them to sneak into the Headmaster's office.

Sensing he was outnumbered, and beginning to think it wasn't such a bad idea – and certainly better than dancing – Neville also got up and followed the girls out of the Hall. Ginny led them around the back, so they were hidden amongst the crowds of students. Outside in the Entrance Hall it was chilly and seemed very dark and quiet.

They made their way quickly to the entrance to the Headmaster's office. No one was around to stop them, everybody was still enjoying the Halloween celebrations. The gargoyle stood at the foot of the staircase, eyeing them suspiciously. 'Yes?' it asked, in a raspy stone voice.

'We're here to speak to Dumbledore,' said Neville, and to his utter amazement, the gargoyle slid aside at the last word. 'Er… thank you,' he said, passing quickly before it changed his mind.

The three climbed the stairs together, glancing around nervously as though expecting Snape and the Carrows to jump out at any moment. 'I can't believe we're doing this!' whispered Ginny at one point.

At the top of the staircase was a big polished oak door. Tentatively, Neville pushed against it, and it opened into the most incredible room he'd ever seen, full of magical devices. Snape seemed to have stamped very little of his personality onto it; at least, there didn't seem to be anything slimy in jars. The walls were covered in portraits of elderly witches and wizards, in various versions of old fashioned clothing. Most were snoozing, but several eyed him suspiciously.

'Where's Dumbledore?' he whispered to Ginny, looking around. There were wizards of every shape and size, but nowhere was the familiar face of Albus Dumbledore. Some of the frames were empty. 'D'you think he might have gone somewhere else?' he asked Ginny, still in a whisper.

'Maybe they haven't painted him yet,' said Ginny, sounding disappointed. 'I suppose he died really unexpectedly.'

A querulous voice interrupted them. 'I take it you are looking for Albus Dumbledore?'

'Yes, sir,' said Neville, looking round and finally finding the portrait responsible. It was a thin wizard with a little black beard, dressed in green robes. 'Does he have a portrait here?'

'Oh yes,' said the portrait wizard, 'not that he deigns us with his presence very often. Dumbledore has portraits everywhere. He graces us with his presence but occasionally.'

'You mean he's not here?' Neville's heart sank.

The portrait gave an exasperated sigh. 'Isn't that what I just said? Goodness, you students just seem to get more stupid as time goes on.'

'Hello Phineas,' said Ginny, surprising Neville.

'You _know_ this… man?' he asked, at the same time as the portrait snapped, 'That's Professor Black to you!'

'His other portrait hangs in a house I used to know,' said Ginny. 'He goes between the two. I suppose we should have thought of that, Dumbledore having more than one picture.'

'You'd think with everything that's going on here he might stick around a bit!' said Neville hotly.

Ginny shrugged. 'Maybe that's why he's not here – perhaps he can't bear it. There's nothing he can do, is there? He's just a painting.'

'Just a painting!' Phineas Nigellus looked outraged at this.

'Neville! Ginny! Come and look at this!' Luna's voice came from the left of the office. They turned to see her standing in front of a glass cabinet, in which the sword of Gryffindor stood, the ruby encrusted hilt glinting in the candlelight.

'Gryffindor's sword!' said Ginny. 'Harry used this to defeat the basilisk, in the Chamber of Secrets. He pulled it out of the Sorting Hat… I was unconscious at the time, but that's what he said.'

'Goblin made,' said Luna approvingly. 'With a sword like that, you could defeat any number of Snapes and Carrows.'

Ginny's eyes had lit up again. 'Let's steal it!' she said, eagerly.

'Steal it?' repeated Neville, increasingly alarmed by how fast they'd moved from breaking and entering to theft.

'Yes, why not? It's the sword of _Gryffindor _– what right does Snape have to it? He's a Slytherin. We've got more right to it than he has; in fact, he's the one who's stolen it. He must have taken it from Dumbledore.' Ginny was examining the glass case as she spoke.

'Theft from a Hogwarts Headmaster? Unthinkable!' exclaimed Phineas from the wall behind them, and Neville couldn't help but agree.

'What are we going to do with it once we've got it?' he asked reasonably, as both girls puzzled over the cabinet.

'Put it in the Common Rroom. It's a symbol, isn't it? Not just of Gryffindor, but of Harry – it's Harry's sword more than anyone's now. It'll give people hope, remind people of how Harry saved me from the Chamber of Secrets, saved the whole school from being shut down. No one else could, not even Dumbledore.' Ginny was trying to prise the lid off with her fingers. Luna meanwhile, was holding out her wand thoughtfully. '_Alohomora!' _she whispered, but the case stayed firmly shut. She shrugged. 'It was worth a try.'

Ignoring the protests of Phineas Nigellus, all three tried everything they could think of to open the case. Luna ran through an impressive gamut of unlocking charms, and Ginny and Neville covered the case with smears and fingerprints as they tried to find a place to open it. Eventually, all three stood back wearily, looking at the still intact case. 'I suppose… we could just smash it?' said Ginny doubtfully, then before Neville could stop her, she reached for a paper weight in the shape of doxy and hurled it at the case.

The glass shattered inwards with a crunch followed by a tinkling sound. They all stood and stared for a minute, then Ginny used the paperweight to break it down some more. Shards of glass glinted brightly on the carpet as Ginny leant forward and carefully removed the sword. It was very large and looked rather out of place in Ginny's hand.

None of them knew what to do for a moment, but the sound of the smashing glass had woken some of the dozing portraits, who were tutting disapprovingly. 'I think we need to get out of here,' said Neville.

'We need to disguise the sword somehow – we can't just walk through the castle with it.' Ginny looked around for inspiration. 'Luna, quick, take your hat off and shove the sword into it. If you hold against your body and we sort of gather round, hopefully it will just look like you're carrying your hat.'

Luna complied, although it didn't work very well. No matter how carefully they stood, it looked odd and the eye would soon be drawn to the scabbard. 'Come on, we'd better go now, let's just hope no one sees us.'

The three left the office, pushing the door shut, and began their cautious way down the stairs, gripping the sword between them with Luna's hat covering the top part.

They were barely halfway down when they heard footsteps coming the other way. They tried to retreat back up the stairs, but it was hard with three of them, and a moment later they found themselves face to face with Severus Snape, who stared at them as though he'd never seen students before.

'What precisely is going on here?'


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – The Way Home

It was a grey and rainy November morning, and the seventh year Herbology students were thoroughly damp. Neville had dark shadows under his eyes and was clumsier than usual, knocking over several umbrellas as he tried to remove his wet cloak. 'Watch it,' said Seamus, catching them and propping them up again.

'Are you all right, Neville?' asked Ernie Macmillan. 'We weren't sure if you'd… well, you know.'

'I'm fine, just tired. I was out all night in the Forest.' He smiled at Ernie. 'Honestly, it was all right – quite interesting actually. It could have been a lot worse.'

'Too bloody right!' commented Seamus, trying to dry his hair with his hands. 'After the stunt you three pulled we thought you'd be dead! Or at very least handed over to the Carrows.'

'Yeah, I still don't get it,' said Neville. 'Snape was really angry, we all thought he'd expel us for sure. Mind you, we've got a whole week of detention with Hagrid to go – I'll be lucky if I can stay awake by Friday at this rate.'

'Well, I'm really glad you're all right Neville, but I must say you're incredibly lucky. Unbelievably so.' Ernie bustled off to his desk.

'Hmmm, I'm still wondering where the catch is,' Neville admitted to Seamus as they took their places at the bench. 'Snape isn't stupid, he must have known Hagrid wouldn't make us do anything too awful.'

'It's 'cos you're purebloods, must be,' replied Seamus. 'Now they've eliminated all the Muggle-borns they gotta look after the few remaining purebloods. Bet they wouldn't have let a half-blood off so lightly. Just as well you never took me.'

Neville sighed. 'I said before, it was a spur of the moment thing. And we never went in intending to steal the sword. It just sort of snowballed.'

'Yeah, things have a tendency to snowball when that Ginny's around. You wanna watch her, mate. She's trouble that one.' Seamus began dead-heading the bush in front of them with unnecessary force.

Neville suppressed the urge to sigh again. The low-level feud between Seamus and Ginny was starting to get on his nerves. He knew that Seamus would never forgive Ginny for taking up so much of his best friend's time in what had turned out to be the last year they'd have together. Neville wished he knew what to say to Seamus. The absence of Dean and the others lurked between them but could never be discussed. Although the two boys had grown inevitably closer due to their isolation, Neville was under no illusion that he could replace Dean. He and Seamus were just too different. He tried to look interested when Seamus went on about Quidditch, but they both knew his heart wasn't in it.

Snape's leniency did bother Neville though. Ginny and Luna had been delighted, laughing at Snape's stupidity in thinking detention with Hagrid was a punishment to them. But Neville knew that of all the many bad things Snape was, stupid was rarely one of them. They'd come up with various theories – it was because they were purebloods, it was because he didn't want to do anything too public to make the incident any more talked about than it already was. But he had a nasty feeling that Snape must have an ulterior motive, and not a pleasant one.

At lunch time Ginny joined him and Seamus, holding a copy of the _Quibbler. _'Hot off the press,' she said brightly, handing it over. 'Xeno's done himself proud!'

Neville turned to the page indicated, and opened it out between him and Seamus. The article was headed, 'Potter Saves Muggle-Borns from Registration Committee.'

_News has reached the _Quibbler _of an audacious rescue by the Boy-Who-Lived of a group of Muggleborn witches and wizards being held at the Ministry for Magic. Whilst sources cannot be verified, many believe that the incident – in which around ten Muggleborns being held pending trial are thought to have escaped – was the work of Harry Potter and unknown associates._

_The Ministry of Magic has refused to confirm how many escaped, but it is clear that an escape did occur. Ministry officials were seen sealing the exits to the Ministry in some panic and attempting to apprehend three individuals, who managed to evade capture. It is believed these individuals included Potter, under the influence of Polyjuice. _

_The incident raises further questions about the practice of 'trying' Muggle-borns and the fate of those found guilty of magical 'theft'. The body of Trevor Higgins, a Muggleborn sentenced to imprisonment in Azkaban following such a trial, was found washed up on the coast close to the Azkaban island. It is clear that those Muggleborns who appear before the Committee are in severe danger and this paper would urge any Muggleborns who remain in Britain to leave immediately. _

_An anonymous source close to the Ministry says, 'Anyone summoned to a Registration Hearing should not attend. They should take their family and only what belongings they can carry, and leave the country by whatever means possible. Apparition and the Floo network are not advised, due to Ministry monitoring. Owl post is also considered unsafe due to high risk of interception. The safest way to travel is by Muggle transport or broomstick. Avoid areas with a high wizard population and do not withdraw money from Gringotts. Avoid performing magic in any Muggle inhabited area. You may need Muggle documentation to travel by Muggle ferry boats or aeroplanes.'_

_Those fleeing the persecution of the Ministry need to take care, however. Two young witches found dead in Eastbourne this week are believed to have drowned whilst attempting to cross the Channel by rowing boat. Many Muggleborns are resorting to increasing desperate measures to leave the country. Reports from France of squalid conditions in refugee camps and attempts to repatriate British asylum seekers have started to filter through, although information about the fate of arrivals is still scarce. Ireland is not believed to be a safe destination for those escaping the Committee as the influence of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now extends to parts of the Emerald Isle._

_Since the daring rescue, there have been no confirmed sightings of Harry Potter, despite a nationwide appeal from the Ministry for information leading to his whereabouts. Reports suggest large numbers of Ministry officials, including an entire Auror squad, are dedicated to tracing the 17 year old. That Potter has not only evaded their attempts, but succeeded in infiltrating the very heart of the Ministry itself, bears testament to the astounding skill of this remarkable young wizard._

Neville finished the article ahead of Seamus and looked up at Ginny. 'Xeno really isn't holding back, is he? He ought to be careful.'

A cloud passed over Ginny's smiling face. 'They wouldn't go for Xeno would they?' she asked, shooting a quick look back at Luna on the Ravenclaw table. 'I mean, it's the _Quibbler. _No one takes the _Quibbler _that seriously. He'll get away with it.' Her voice had a pleading note.

Neville shrugged. 'I suppose you're right. Anyway, they do seem reluctant to go for purebloods at the moment.'

'Or they'd have finished off my family long ago,' finished Ginny, saying the words Neville never would have. 'Dad reckons it's because they think Harry will contact us sooner or later. If they've locked us up or whatever they won't have that opportunity.' She picked up her spoon and began to poke at her blancmange. 'Trouble is, I think he probably _will_ try to get in touch eventually,' she added in a very low voice. 'And there's a part of me that hopes he will. I want to hear from him so much. But that's selfish, isn't it?'

'It's human,' he said gently, hoping she didn't start to cry. 'There's nothing wrong with wanting to hear from someone you love.'

She grinned at him sidelong, surprising him. 'You always say the right thing, Nev. Even with Hagrid. I really hope he doesn't spend all night tonight going on about Harry again.'

'I wouldn't like to bet on it,' Neville pushed away his empty plate. 'I'm going to try and grab some sleep before tonight. See you at eight.'

As time went on and the DA continued to act as an irritant to the Headmaster, Snape reinstated some of Umbridge's Educational Decrees. A strict curfew was imposed of 7pm to 7am, and students were banned from gathering in groups of three or more outside of lessons and common rooms. Unofficial student societies were banned once more. Quidditch practice was allowed only under supervision of Madam Hooch.

Despite this, the DA managed to continue, although now they needed to use a lot of caution. Neville neglected his studies in favour of planning activities and minor acts of rebellion. They began producing a 'defensive spell of the week' newsletter, which was transfigured into small coloured beads that could be handed out like sweets. When the portrait flag-waving craze lost its novelty value they tried a night-time firework display that appeared on the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall one dinner time.

Having Luna and Ginny in the group opened up plenty of opportunities to defeat the restrictions placed on them. Lessons with Hagrid enabled them to wander the grounds far and wide quite legitimately, whilst Astronomy classes gave them the perfect opportunity to break curfew. The three ringleaders had to be careful though; on several occasions Neville found he was being followed, usually by a younger Slytherin.

Despite all the hardships, for a few weeks in November, Neville came to the guilty realisation he was often enjoying himself. He had forged a closer friendship with Luna and Ginny than he had ever experienced at school, and in the wake of Snape's lenient punishment and as time went by with nothing worse, he began to feel quite confident. The DA was succeeding in all three of its aims; improved defence skills, boosting Harry's support around the school, and destabilising Snape and the Carrows at every opportunity.

Neville couldn't ever feel fully content though. Thoughts of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dean nagged at the back of his mind like an itch that wouldn't quite go away. And closer to home, Seamus seemed increasingly isolated whilst Ginny had phases where she became lethargic with misery, sometimes barely getting out of bed in time for classes. If it hadn't been for Luna brightly waiting outside the portrait hole Neville suspected she would have stayed locked in her dorm all day on these occasions. But then on other days she would organise Quidditch practice and DA activities with a cheerful determination, and even joke and fool around to cheer the rest up.

But at the end of November an incident happened which reminded the DA of what they were dealing with. Ginny and Luna were in Muggle Studies and Carrow was in full flow delivering a lecture on how Muggle 'Sigh Fie Geeks' devoted all their time to trying to find out the secrets of the magic community, when Ginny released one of the twins' newest inventions. The Irritating Imitator began to repeat Carrow's words in a voice pitched perfectly for annoyance, just a beat behind the teacher.

A furious Carrow stormed around the room, making a beeline for Ginny, who was usually the source of any disruption. 'Where is that thing?' she demanded. 'at thing?' echoed the Imitator. She made a grab for Ginny's bag and tipped it out. Books, quills, lipsticks and sweets spilt across the floor. A bottle of bright green ink cracked and a puddle began to spread out under the desk. The Imitator managed a strangled yowl to echo Carrow's bellow of rage as she swept everything off the desk.

The rest of the class were backing away as far as possible in the already cramped classroom. 'Where is it?' screamed Carrow again, sounding demented. 'Where is it?' squealed the Imitator. Carrow kicked over Luna's bag and trampled on it until the contents jangled loosely. There was a pause where everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. Carrow looked left and right, then slowly opened her mouth.

'That thing had better-' she broke off in a howl as the squeaky voice began again, a syllable behind. Before any of them could move, Carrow had grabbed Ginny by the neck of her robes and heaved her up, half standing, so they were face to face. 'Where?' she screamed, her face inches from Ginny's. Still the little voice blithely chirruped in echo. She shook Ginny hard, almost dropping her but catching her with her big hands clasped around Ginny's neck.

'Stop it!' cried Luna, on her feet too now, beside them. 'Stop it now!'

Carrow was squeezing hard, and Ginny's mouth opened helplessly as she tried to gasp for breath. 'Not so clever now are you?' screeched Carrow.

'_Finite incantatem!' _tried Luna, but the Imitator still mimicked Carrow even as Ginny began to go a mottled colour.

'_Relashio!_' A jet of sparks hit Carrow's hands and she dropped Ginny like a hot brick. Ginny missed her seat and fell into the narrow aisle between desks, cracking her head against the flagstones with a sickening thud. Luna fell to a crouch over her friend immediately, shielding her from Carrow.

Colin Creevey was standing two desks behind, his wand still pointing at Carrow and shaking slightly, staring at the tip of it as though he'd never cast a spell before. Slowly he raised his eyes to look Carrow in the face. In complete silence, Carrow stared back, her face rigid with hate. Then she upturned Ginny and Luna's desk with a crash, scattering students in both directions. The Imitator was stuck to the underside with chewing gum.

A jet of fire erupted from Carrow's wand and she held it to the Imitator for more than a minute before stepping back, breathless and sweating. 'That-' she paused to check for an echo. There was none. 'Ends today's lesson. The next one of you little bleeders that tries anything is going to wish they were never born, understand me? I ain't like McGonagall. I ain't like your _Flitwick,_' she spat the name with contempt. 'I don't piss about with detentions and lines and piddling stupid little house points. You mess with me, you pay the price.' She barged her way through the stunned students and left the room.

A wave of excited chatter rose up in her wake. Colin elbowed his way forward to where Luna was kneeling over Ginny, desperately shaking her friend. 'Luna! Is she OK?'

Luna looked up, her face wet with tears. 'She won't wake up, she must have hit her head when she fell.'

'Shall I try _Ennervate _on her?' asked Colin, twisting his wand between his hands anxiously.

Luna shook her head. 'It's not safe, you can fry peoples' brains if you do it hard. We'd better carry her to the hospital wing.'

Colin looked round their classmates. 'Come on, we need some help here,' he called. Many of the class backed off warily, apologetic expressions on their faces. 'Come on, we only need to get her to the hospital wing! I'm not asking you to lead the rebellion!' Their classmates were melting away like snow on a spring day. 'Freddie? Jack?' pleaded Colin.

The two Gryffindors stepped forward and together with Colin, manoeuvred Ginny's unconscious body slowly out of the door and along the corridor. At the top of the stairs they had to put her down for a break. 'Why can none of us do that feather light spell?' bemoaned Freddie.

'I could try,' Jack volunteered doubtfully.

'No,' said Luna firmly. 'No one is doing any kind of bewitching on Ginny, OK? She's already hurt, I'm not having you guys practice your charms on her!'

Freddie and Jack made themselves scarce as soon as Ginny was safely delivered to the hospital wing. 'Our year are rubbish,' Colin confided in Luna whilst Madam Pomfrey was busy with Ginny.

'They're just scared,' sighed Luna, picking at the edges of her nails. Her cuticles were already red and raw.

'She is going to be OK, isn't she Luna?' Colin leant in to try and catch her eye. 'I mean, she only bumped her head, didn't she? Just when she fell.' There was still no response. Colin continued, his voice getting higher in pitch. 'I thought I was doing the right thing – I thought Carrow was going to strangle her. I didn't want use _Diffindo_ in case I cut her, I thought _Relashio_ was best…'

'It wasn't your fault, Colin,' Luna cut him off suddenly. 'If you hadn't done what you did, she'd have ended up hurt just as bad.'

'Shit.' Colin put his head in his hands, his usual bubbling enthusiasm gone. Without it he looked a gawky, mousy adolescent. The cuffs of his robes were frayed. 'She fought actual Death Eaters twice, and survived… now, just from banging her head on the floor…'

Luna stood, suddenly, her usually soft face hard and her eyes bright with tears. 'No. You're forgetting, she was fighting an actual Death Eater this time. Carrow is a Death Eater. Her and her brother were two of the intruders we fought on the night Dumbledore died. She was trying to kill us then, why would she change now? It's no different, Colin, can't you see? We have to sit in classes and say 'yes, sir, no, miss' to these monsters that just a few months ago we were fighting for our lives against.

I know it seems safer and OK because it's Hogwarts, it's school, it's familiar. But it isn't. We mustn't forget that. These people are murderers. Actual murderers. Carrow is, and her brother is, and Snape is the biggest murderer of all. These people aren't just going to make rules that are unfair, that we don't like. Sooner or later, they are going to hurt us and they are going to kill us. We think the war is this big thing outside, pressing up against the walls. But it's here. It's right here, inside this castle. Now.'

Colin was staring at Luna as though she'd gone mad. The mood was broken by Madam Pomfrey. 'She's all right now, if you want to go and see her. We'll keep her in overnight but she should be all right for morning lessons tomorrow. Teachers attacking pupils! I swear I've never seen the like of it in my life.' She cast a nervous look around after the last remark and disappeared into her office.

The two sixth years hurried towards the bed where Ginny was propped up, her flame red hair spread across the pillow. 'Hi,' she said in a hoarse voice. Carrow's hands had left livid finger-shaped bruises around her neck. 'Thanks for getting me here.'

'You really frightened me!' said Luna, before throwing her arms around her friend.

'Sorry. I'm OK now, I promise. Hey Colin, thanks for hexing Carrow off me.'

'Any time,' replied Colin, hovering awkwardly. He didn't seem to know where to look.

'Why don't you go and find Neville, Colin, let him know what's happened and that I'm all right?' Ginny suggested.

'Yeah, OK, hope you feel better soon.' Colin sped away looking relieved.

Ginny sat up a bit, wincing, and wriggled over to make room for Luna next to her. 'What happened after I passed out?'

Luna described the events whilst Ginny was unconscious, and they moved on to a more general discussion about Alecto Carrow's many bad qualities as it got dark outside. 'It's nearly dinner time, you should go,' Ginny said regretfully.

'I'd rather stay, I don't want to leave you.' Luna cast a glance at the doors to the hospital wing. 'I don't want to go back out there, Gin. It's nice here, it feels safe.'

'Stay then. I bet Madam Pomfrey would let you. Tell her you're traumatised or something. Go on, it'll be fun.'

Luna jumped down from the bed and trotted off to Madam Pomfrey's office. Ginny allowed herself a wince and rub of her aching temples out of sight of her anxious friend. She sensed movement at the entrance and straightened up again. 'What did Pomfrey sa-' she broke off with a gasp.

Severus Snape was standing at the entrance to the hospital wing, glowering at Ginny. 'Weasley,' he said, his voice barely rising above a whisper. 'You foolish girl.' He paced slowly down the ward, never taking his eyes from the girl in the bed. 'Professor Carrow has informed me about your transgression. I would have hoped that after your failed attempt at theft, you might have seen sense and behaved more appropriately. But then I was of course forgetting that you are a Weasley.'

He finished his speech standing opposite her bed, some distance away, an expression of contempt on his face. Ginny took a deep breath. 'Aren't you going to do anything about the fact that Professor Carrow attacked me?'

Snape laughed, a slow, almost musical sound. 'Weasley, if Professor Carrow – in response to severe provocation – decided to mete out a punishment, then I fully support her. You have grown up in a lax, foolish establishment. Hogwarts had lost its way. I saw it every day for seventeen miserable years. Insolence. Disobedience. You and your ilk believe you can behave in whatever way you wish and get away with it. I pity you. The job of a school is to teach people how to behave. Because if you don't learn it here, believe me, you will learn it in the real world, and it will not be pleasant.'

'Less pleasant than being strangled?' Ginny managed to retort, suppressing a cough at the memory of those fingers crushing her windpipe.

In response Snape laughed again, his eyes remaining empty. 'Much less pleasant, Miss Weasley.' He stared at her. 'You never had a chance, growing up in that family. Cheek and excuses are all you know. A shame. You could have had potential.' He looked at her so intently that a shiver ran along her spine and she felt herself shrink back into her pillows. 'And where are your brothers now? Howling at the moon? Trying to sell jokes to people in a war zone? Sitting alone having disowned the rest of you? Or in bed with spattergroit? _Very conveniently timed_ spattergroit.' His eyes were boring into her. 'Perhaps the spattergroit was brought on by the trauma of Mr Potter's departure, so closely did the two coincide.'

She felt his mind there, in hers, that horrible sensation of being x-rayed. She wanted to lower her eyes, but if she did it was good as an admission. Anger surged through her, and she fought back, she balled up her thoughts and she pushed.

Snape took a step back. 'Trying Occlumency, Weasley? Trying to protect the sanctity of your mind? I think it's rather too late for that, don't you? I can read you… _like a book_.' He gave a particularly nasty smile and a knot formed in Ginny's stomach as the meaning of his words hit home. 'In punishment for your intractably disobedient attitude, I am banning you from Hogsmeade visits. Permanently. Mr Filch has already removed your name from the list and taken great pleasure in burning your permission slip. Good evening.'

As Snape strode out of the room, Luna and Madam Pomfrey emerged hesitantly from the office. Pomfrey gave a nervous half curtsey as Snape swept past and received a haughty, 'Good day, Poppy,' for her pains.

'Banned from Hogsmeade,' said Luna, returning to Ginnys's bedside. 'That's because they've guessed where Fred and George are getting their Hogwarts material for Potterwatch from, I suppose. Are you all right?'

Ginny nodded, then wished she hadn't. Moving her head made the room spin. 'Something Snape said,' she muttered, wishing Luna was gone.

'About your family?' asked her friend, brows knotted.

'No.'

'About Harry then?' tried Luna.

'No. About… something that happened a long time ago. Luna, why don't you go and get your overnight things, if you're staying?'

The hospital wing at dark was hushed and echoey, unlike the dormitories they were used to. They pushed two beds close together and lay back on their pillows, talking into the night. 'I hate my dorm,' Luna said conversationally at one point. 'I wish we could be like this every night. Being in houses is rubbish sometimes. Not being able to eat together, to hang out in the evenings. I love Ravenclaw, but a place can never be a true home without the people you love being there.'

'Well, you know what the other Gryff girls are like. They're not nasty to me any more, but we're never going to be friends. Laura and Jenny made my life miserable from day one. Little Ginny Weasley, with her red hair and her hand-me-down robes, textbooks falling to pieces. I'd only ever been around boys, I didn't know how to talk to girls. They all seemed so old, so knowing. I longed to come to Hogwarts, I was desperate to get here. For almost my whole life, I was waiting for that day, watching my brothers go one by one. Sometimes I thought I'd _never _be old enough.' She glanced sidelong at Luna, who was curled up watching her friend. 'But when I got here, it was awful. I couldn't believe that finally all my wishes had come true, and I was at Hogwarts – and I didn't like it. And then… I made a terrible mistake.'

She went quiet. After a moment, Luna asked, 'What?'

Ginny turned to face Luna. 'I've… I've never told anyone this before, Luna. I've never talked about it at all, even with the people that know. But I know I can trust you. D'you remember the first year – with the Chamber of Secrets?'

Luna nodded. 'Of course. Daddy and I had ever such a lot of interesting theories about what was causing the Chamber to open and what the monster was. We used to owl each other with them. I still think there might have been some truth in a connection to the Solar Bi-Sphere Theor…' She stopped, seeing Ginny's face. 'Sorry, carry on.'

'Well, you'll remember that at the end of the year, I got kidnapped and taken to the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry and Ron rescued me.' She paused and Luna nodded, her big eyes wide and avid. 'Except, that wasn't really what happened. The rescuing bit, that was real. But before that… I wasn't kidnapped.' She took a deep breath. 'It was me that was doing it. Me that was opening the Chamber and setting the monster on people.'

Luna gaped at her, blinking hard as she tried to compute this revelation. 'But… _you're_ the heir of Slytherin? How come… how come none of your older brothers…'

'I was enchanted, possessed. By the real heir of Slytherin – Tom Riddle – I can see you know who that is,' she added, seeing Luna's face change again. 'It was all because of a diary, I found it in amongst my school books. I started writing in it, and it wrote back. I told it everything, and he – Tom – was nice to me, and kind. He listened, he gave me advice. He told me not to feel bad about being poor and having red hair and knowing nothing about hair potions or bras. He said all the right things. I loved it. I felt like I couldn't live without him.

Of course all the time, he got stronger, until he started to take over, make me do terrible things. I wouldn't remember anything, I'd just come to in some random place and not know how I'd got there. I'd be covered in paint or feathers or have bruises and I wouldn't understand why. So because of that I confided in Tom more, and got more reliant on him. I was in a daze most of the time. Everything in Hogwarts seemed less and less real and the people around me seemed more like shadows. Sometimes, on a bad day now, I feel like that. It's like when you're near a Dementor, that sort of feeling.

Eventually Tom decided to use me as bait to get at Harry, so he took me down to the Chamber and left me to die. He came out of the diary, like a ghost. Then I passed out and when I woke up he was gone and there was Harry with a sword, covered in blood and the diary was destroyed.' She spread her hands. 'And that was that except…'

'What?'

'Sometimes I think, what if You-Know-Who is still there, somewhere? Or what if he did something to me, changed me somehow? Would I know? I used to get this feeling sometimes, when I was with Harry last year. I'd start to wonder if You-Know-Who would somehow take over again and get me to kill Harry. Once I'd started to think it, I couldn't get it out of my head. It scared me, and I knew I should break up with him, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It made me hate myself.'

Luna was watching her intently. 'But you _didn't_ hurt Harry, not once in all that time. You have a good aura. I could tell, you know, if there was something wrong with you.'

Ginny moved to dismiss Luna, but then caught herself. 'Do you really think that?'

'I know it.' Luna looked at Ginny's pale, doubtful face and smiled. 'I know you think I'm crazy, Gin, but I'm right.' Her calm voice was full of complete certainty. 'Didn't you think Nargles were made-up once?'

'Well – that's diff-' Ginny began, then stopped. 'I really want to believe you, Luna. It was just when Snape said that…'

'Professor Snape is a very clever man. He sees people's weaknesses, their fears, and he uses them. You should never look into the eyes of someone like him. Mind magic. Him and Dumbledore, all the wizards in power, that's how they've got there. My Daddy says that mind magic is the truest evil. Looking into the thoughts of others, manipulating them, preying on them for your own gain. They should make Legilimency illegal – the _Quibbler _ran a campaign a while back –but they never will of course.'

'Snape was trying to use it on me earlier – I managed to push him out. Occlumency – like poor Harry never got the hang of.' She smiled suddenly. 'Actually, if I managed to push Snape out, that's good, isn't it? It means I'm maybe more in control than I thought.'

'You're in control, Gin. Now Harry… there has always been something strange about his aura. It's sort of… kinked. Like there's something there, beneath the surface, that makes it just slightly out of kilter. Like a splinter just under the skin. And Professor Snape, he has a very small aura, pulled in close to him, and dark. Very hard to read. Professor Dumbledore's aura was best of all, his was swirly, like mist. He was a very complicated man, Professor Dumbledore.'

The two lay back on their beds in silence for a while, contemplating. Eventually Luna wriggled round and hung upside down off the side of her bed, her long hair streaming down to the floor. Seeing the look on Ginny's face she explained, 'It's very good for the brain, you know, increases the blood flow. I often try to sleep like this. You should try it.'

'Perhaps not with my bad head,' said Ginny quickly.

The girls were quiet again until Luna said, 'I only really started to enjoy Hogwarts in the fourth year, when we started the DA and I got to know you and Neville and Harry. I loved being in the DA. It was like having friends. And now, you and me really are friends, it feels wonderful. Last summer, it was so exciting to wake up and think I could visit your house. Daddy was thrilled. I used to make up friends so he wouldn't feel worried, but it was much better to have a real one I could actually go and see.'

'Oh, Luna. I should have invited you over before. I never really thought. Home's always so busy, so many people about, what with all the boys, and usually Harry and Hermione too. When I think about how quiet and lonely it felt when it was just me and my parents…'

'It's OK,' said Luna, smiling. 'I don't mind being on my own a lot, I'm used to it. If I feel lonely, I just imagine someone is with me and I talk to them in my head, and then it feels all right. But I do like being with real people better,' she added hurriedly.

Ginny took advantage of the confessionary atmosphere to ask something that she'd wondered about several times but never liked to voice. 'Luna? Do you… like Neville?'

'Oh yes, of course. Neville is a very nice person, and he's my friend, he even said as much.' She frowned. 'I thought you liked him too?'

'I do, of course. I didn't mean do you like him, I meant… do you _like _him?'

Luna knitted her brows together in confusion, then burst out laughing. 'You're so funny Ginny! Neville's a _Leo_! Me and him would never be compatible – it would be like me dating _Harry!' _She laughed so hard she slipped down the bed and almost landed on her head.

'I only wondered,' said Ginny, a bit affronted. 'I think Colin's a bit sweet on you, you know.'

This set Luna off into more paroxysms of laughter, until she fell right out of bed and sat on the floor, tears of mirth streaming down her cheeks. 'Colin's _gay_!' she announced, before breaking down into giggles again.

Ginny was about to retort that Luna couldn't know that for sure, when suddenly she began to laugh too. Once she started, she couldn't stop. Every time one or the other girl began to compose herself, they would catch each other's eyes and start again. They laughed until they hurt, and finally went off to sleep lying next to each other, with smiles on their faces.

The platform at Hogsmeade station was covered in a thick layer of snow, fast turning to dirty slush as 250 odd Hogwarts students, along with trunks, brooms and familiars, descended. Neville, Luna and Ginny walked close together. The fingerprints on Ginny's neck had finally faded, much to her relief. She hadn't relished explaining their presence to her parents.

There was a chill in the air that went beyond the usual cold of December day in the Scottish Highlands. You could tell by the way the students' smiles died more quickly, the way they kept together, the way they lowered voices as they discussed their plans for Christmas. It meant that Neville was in the unusual position of having a girl on each arm. Ginny in particular struggled when Dementors were in the vicinity, and even Luna's usually sunny disposition was dampened down.

Neville tried to force himself to think cheerful thoughts, but it was like pouring water into a sieve. All the positivity trickled away, and every good thought mutated into a negative. Thinking about his Gran and spending Christmas with his relatives reminded him of how disappointed they all were in his lack of power. Thinking of the progress Dumbledore's Army had made turned into guilt at the danger he could be getting them into.

'Are all the charms ready, Luna?' he asked, referring to the plan the DA had hatched up for the journey home.

'I think so,' she said, not sounding very sure. 'I don't feel like they're going to work though.' She looked back over her shoulder and shivered.

'That's the Dementors,' Neville reminded her, trying to sound hearty and confident. But he now felt like Luna did – that the spells couldn't possibly work, and that there was no point in trying in the first place.

'Let's get on the train,' said Ginny abruptly, locating her trunk amongst the many lined up at the platform edge under a red and gold lion shimmering in the air.

They found an empty compartment and Neville levitated their three trunks into the overhead rack. He fumbled the spell and dropped Ginny's trunk with thud and a yowl from Crookshanks, whose basket was tied to the top.

'Watch it, you clumsy idiot!' snapped Ginny. 'If any of my stuff is broken…'

'If it wasn't for Neville we'd be lifting them ourselves since we're not seventeen yet,' pointed out Luna, more sharply than normal.

'I wish I _could_ do it myself, I'd do it right,' huffed Ginny, throwing herself onto the seat and drawing her knees up to her chest.

'Sorry Ginny,' said Neville, hefting the trunk up manually with an apologetic look at Crookshanks.

Luna stayed standing with Neville. 'It's not you who should apologise,' she said, with a meaningful look at Ginny.

'That's right, gang up on me!' exclaimed Ginny, her eyes welling with tears. 'I wish Harry and Ron and Hermione were here! Hogwarts is rubbish without them.'

Neville felt the words as a dull blow to the stomach, but Luna actually recoiled. She stared at her friend for a moment, and then silently sat down in the opposite corner, withdrew a copy of the _Quibbler _from her pocket and put it up in front of her face. Neville wasn't sure if the fact it was upside down meant Luna wasn't really reading it or if she was simply trying to solve the runes on the puzzle page.

The train pulled out of the station with all three sitting in silence. Neville was trying to read '_Defeating Darkness' _but the atmosphere made it hard to concentrate. Luna hadn't lowered the _Quibbler_, and Ginny was snuffling quietly over a photograph of Harry, Ron and Hermione in the garden of the Burrow.

As the train sped over the moors the oppressive effect of the Dementors faded away, but the tension in the air between the leaders of the DA hung on, growing more awkward by the minute. Eventually Ginny said in a rather small voice, 'I'm sorry Nev. I shouldn't have said that.'

Relieved at a chance to make peace, Neville immediately replied, 'That's OK, Gin. It was the Dementors.'

Ginny shook her head. 'It's not an excuse, I shouldn't have been a cow. And it's really kind of you to help with the trunks.'

'Don't be daft, it's nothing. Don't think any more about it.' Their eyes strayed towards Luna.

'Lunes?' said Ginny cautiously. 'Um… I'm sorry. Please, don't be angry with me. I didn't mean it.'

The copy of the _Quibbler _didn't move. Luna's voice came from behind it, so quiet it was hard to hear over the sound of the train. 'You didn't mean to upset me. But you did mean what you said.'

Ginny's face showed Luna had hit on an uncomfortable truth. Neville looked between the two, dismayed. He's seen Luna put up with Ginny's moods all term without even seeming to notice. He wasn't sure if he was up to the role of peacemaker. _Girls_.

But before Neville could attempt an awkward intervention, Ginny got up and went over to Luna. She sat down beside her friend and put the photo on her lap. Hermione waved from the picture whilst Ron and Harry looked rather less enthusiastic. Ron whispered something to Harry and the two grinned. 'You're right, Luna. I do miss them. I can't deny that. And no, Hogwarts isn't the same without them. There's not a single day that doesn't go past that I don't think about them, that they aren't there in the back of my mind.

I wonder sometimes, have Ron and Hermione finally got their act together? Being out there – wherever 'there' is – together? You know, I really hope they have. And the thing that gets me every time is, I'll probably never know for sure. Because I don't know-' she broke off with a sob and took a deep breath before continuing – 'I really don't know if I'll ever see them again. And I know, I know you and Neville miss them too, but I've spent so much time with them over the last few years, in school and at home… I can't pretend that Hogwarts without them – not even knowing if they're still _alive _- can ever be much fun for me.'

The _Quibbler _was drooping a bit and Luna was looking at the photo. Ginny continued, 'But if anything good has come out of this whole awful mess, it's that I've got to spend time with you. Without you – and Neville – Hogwarts wouldn't just be rubbish, it would be unbearable. And whatever happens in the future, I know the three of us will always be friends.'

There was a tense pause, and then Luna turned to smile at Ginny. 'Friends forever,' she said, rather tearily.

'Forever,' Ginny agreed.

Neville cleared his throat and sat down in the corner by the window, feeling heartily glad all the emotional stuff seemed to be coming to an end. He returned his attention to _Defeating Darkness. _Ginny borrowed Neville's copy of _Creative Counter Hexes _and sat beside Luna, who had now turned the _Quibbler _sideways.

The train was warm and the joggling motion made Neville start to feel sleepy. His eyelids dropped and he fought to keep his attention on the page. After reading the same sentence five times, he finally nodded off. In his dream, he saw the cave that he always imagined Harry, Ron and Hermione hiding out in. He wasn't sure why he had the idea of a cave, but it was where he always thought of them. The three were puzzling over some sort of map, whilst behind them a hooded Death Eater crept towards them. Neville kept trying to warn them, but no words came out and he realised he was invisible. The three friends continued to focus on the map even when Neville waved his arms with increasing anxiety…

He jerked awake and for a moment he wasn't sure where he was and looked around for Harry. Then he realised that the train had stopped. He peered out of the windows – a wet and windswept moor stretched damply out underneath a bleached grey sky. Ginny and Luna were also looking round, baffled. Ginny started to say, 'Do you think…'

Hooded figures appeared at the compartment windows. One pointed directly at Luna, who was still curled up on the seat holding the _Quibbler, _and said, 'That's the one.' Even as he spoke a second Death Eater was sliding open the door.

Neville reacted a second too late, shouting '_Colloportus!' _His spell did nothing more than make the door stick slightly. Ginny meanwhile was on her feet, standing in front of Luna. As the Death Eaters stepped into the compartment, she sent a powerful Stunning spell their way, which the lead Death Eater ducked just in time. 'Luna go! Run!' screamed Ginny, as a third Death Eater loomed behind his colleagues. With a silent flick of his wand, all three students found their own wands jerked from their hands. Neville tried desperately to grip onto his, but there was no way to resist the power of the spell.

Ginny launched herself forwards at the three, hands tensed into claws. She barrelled into the first Death Eater, who was caught off guard by this. Neville jumped forwards as well, but was hit by a horribly familiar curse – _Petrificus totalis. _His body was stiffened into a rigid prison and he hit the ground like a statue. From his position on the floor, he saw the second Death Eater hit Ginny with a Stunning spell at close quarters. She instantly crumpled to the ground, eyes shut, and Neville felt a pang of horror. Close range Stunners could be as deadly as the Killing Curse.

Luna, who had run to the window but failed to open it, gave a cry at seeing Ginny fall. She turned back to her friend, falling to her knees beside her. But before she could even check Ginny's pulse, one of the Death Eaters had reached down and lifted her away, gripping her roughly across her neck and under her arms. Luna screamed and kicked, but his hand clamped across her mouth.

'Let's go,' said the third Death Eater, already backing out into the corridor.

It seemed to have happened in slow motion. The Death Eaters pulled back, hauling Luna with them. Neville lay on the floor, unable to move. His heart was racing inside the cage of his chest. He couldn't even speak. All he could do was stare hopelessly into Luna's wide grey eyes as she was carried out. He felt she was trying to communicate something to him, but he had no idea what. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, wetting the dirty hand of the Death Eater.

Every muscle strained against the invisible constraints of the body bind, but it was too strong for him. His vision blurred and he felt a sensation of heat in his nose as he cried without moving. In his head, he pleaded for the Death Eaters to take him instead, but his treacherous mouth would not move to obey.

So all he could do was lie and watch, holding Luna's eyes until she was pulled out of sight.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Luna Lost

Neville lay on the compartment floor, struggling against his invisible bonds. Luna was gone from view, carried away down the train by the Death Eaters. Half a minute later, he felt the spell on him break and he surged forwards, crashing over Ginny's unconscious body and into the compartment window with a crunch of breaking glass. He rushed into the corridor, praying Luna would still be there.

The corridor was empty and the external door at the end of the carriage was open, swinging on its hinges. He ran for it, blind to the frightened students he passed, and threw himself out of the door without a thought for the drop. He hit the ground very hard and was winded for a moment. Unable to get up, he looked around desperately. The train was standing in the middle of an empty moor, tangled gorse and heather stretching out on all sides to rounded hills. There was no sign of Luna or the Death Eaters

'LUNA!' he shouted as loudly as he could. 'LUNA!' His voice echoed back off the hills, a mocking ghost. He could feel the tears running down his cheeks. He remained on his knees, shoulders shaking, eyes still desperately searching the empty moors. This couldn't be happening. He had to be able to fight, there had to be a second chance. It couldn't be over. She couldn't be gone.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, someone saying his name. Silently he stood with Seamus and walked back to the train. He could see white terrified faces lining the windows, staring out at him. Lavender and Parvati were at the open door and helped him and Seamus back onto the train.

'Ginny,' he said, remembering his friend, and hurried back along the corridor, ignoring the staring audience from both ends of the train.

As he re-entered the compartment, he felt the Hogwarts Express rumble and lurch. As they began to move away from the spot Luna had been taken, he experienced an irrational urge to throw himself off, to remain where she'd gone as though she would somehow reappear there. He pushed it down; he had to stay calm for the sake of all the students watching. They couldn't see him, Neville Longbottom, interim leader of Dumbledore's Army, crumbling and giving in to despair.

Ginny was laying where she'd fallen on the carriage floor. He brushed the red hair away from her chalky pale face and checked her pulse. Taking a deep breath he pressed his wand to her temple and whispered, '_Ennervate_!' Almost immediately Ginny stirred and her eyes opened. She gave a sharp intake of breath and tried to sit up.

'Luna!' she gasped, looking around and freezing when she saw Neville's face.

'They took her,' he said grimly. 'I couldn't stop them, I'm sorry Ginny.'

She made a small squeaky noise and shut her eyes. Eventually she opened them and looked back at him. 'I was so horrible to her,' she said in a weak voice.

'Yes, and then you risked your own life to try and protect her,' he reminded her strongly.

'They… they'll kill her, won't they?' she said, her lips shaking.

He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. 'They didn't kill her outright, that might be a good sign,' he tried to reassure her. He could hear how unconvincing his voice sounded. For a moment they viewed each other, then Ginny gave a sob and they were holding each other tightly, Ginny crying hard. Behind them, he could see the anxious faces of the rest of Dumbledore's Army at the entrance to the compartment. Several of the girls were also crying and the boys had unusually bright eyes. Neville closed his own eyes to block them, unable to cope with the enormity of the situation.

After a few minutes he felt Ginny's sobs grow weaker. After the blankness of shock, he began to find normal emotions creeping back in. He was aware of the dampness of the shoulders of his robes where Ginny's tears had soaked through, and of the pins and needles in his feet from kneeling too long. He felt Ginny's body under his hands and the awkwardness of touching her. He realised his nose was running and he had no hand free to wipe it. A great weariness came over him and threatened to overwhelm him.

Ginny pulled back, her face messy from tears and exertion. She found a handkerchief in her robes pocket and rubbed ineffectually at her eyes. 'I don't know what to do, Nev,' she said softly. 'I don't know how I can keep going. We've got to rescue her!'

He rubbed her back clumsily. 'Gin, we can't. She could be anywhere. There's nothing we can do.' He felt the tears building up behind his eyes again.

'So we're meant to just leave her? Give up on her?' Ginny climbed to her feet, glaring at him.

'No, we never give up on her!' he replied hotly, also scrambling up with the aid of a seat. 'We always remember her, and think of her, and love her. But we can't go after her, Gin. It's not possible. You know it's not possible.'

'Harry would have tried!' she threw back.

'Harry wouldn't have known where to start, any more than we do!' he retorted. 'Don't think it's out of cowardice, Gin, because if I could just die right now in order to bring her back, I would. But we can't go running off round the country trying to find her – we simply don't have the means to do it. All we can do is keep going as we have been, keep the spirit of the resistance alive in Hogwarts.'

She sat down suddenly, slumping. 'None of it seems worth it now.'

'I know, Gin,' he agreed, sinking down into the seat opposite her. 'I know.'

There was a tentative knock at the door and Seamus entered, holding a bottle of butterbeer. He was unable to meet their eyes. 'I thought you might like some of this,' he said, proffering the bottle to Ginny. 'For the shock and all.'

After a pause, she looked up and took the bottle tentatively. 'Um, thanks, Seamus,' she said finally, taking a small sip. She closed her eyes whilst the liquid worked its way down, and then took another, bigger sip. 'That does help,' she said after a moment. 'Here, you have some, Neville.'

He didn't feel much like drinking or eating, but Ginny was right, the butterbeer did help a bit. 'Thanks,' he said to Seamus, who was hovering anxiously.

'What do we do now, Nev?' Ginny asked the question in an unusually small voice, watching Neville intently. He felt Seamus' eyes also on him.

He took a deep breath, suddenly aware again of the great burden of being a leader. He knew he was still shaking like a leaf. He tried to pull his thoughts together. 'We carry on,' he said, in a voice that sounded too weak, too small even to him. 'We have to carry on,' he said again, more strongly this time. He took another swig of butterbeer to help him. 'We can't bring Luna back, but we can carry on fighting. Just like Harry kept fighting after Cedric died, after Sirirus died. Just like we started up the DA when Umbridge was in charge, and just like we brought it back despite Snape and the Carrows. We can't stop bad things happening, but we can do as much as possible to fight back.'

Both Ginny and Seamus were staring at him now, odd expressions on their faces. He couldn't tell if they were frightened, or disbelieving, or impressed. He realised he didn't care. He continued, 'We can't let the kids on this train go home thinking Dumbledore's Army has been defeated. We can't let them spend the break getting more and more scared and deciding they won't come back in the new year. So I suggest we carry on as we planned.'

Ginny blinked, and then nodded. 'You're right, Nev.' She stood up. 'I'm going to clean myself up a bit, I won't be long.' She picked up her bag and slipped out of the compartment.

Once Ginny had left, Neville turned to Seamus. 'Thanks, mate, for… well, you know.' Seamus inclined his head slightly. Neville put down the butterbeer and looked around. 'Where are the rest of the DA?'

'Some prefects came along and sent everyone back to their compartments. They're all pretty shaken up – everyone is.' Seamus stared at him. 'What do you want us to do, Nev?'

The rawness of Luna's loss prevented the usual panic he'd feel. 'We carry on, like I said. The sweets stunt, we go ahead like we planned. Michael and Anthony know the spells.'

Seams hesitated. 'You don't think it looks… callous?' he asked.

Part of Neville wanted to agree. But he found himself overriding it and saying confidently, 'No. We can't afford to just crumble. Believe me mate, I want to. But we can't. If we give up now, how are we going to come back in January? How can we keep going at all?' He rose to his feet. 'Please can you go and gather up as many of the DA as you can, get them together in a carriage and tell them I'll be along in a few minutes?'

For a moment he thought Seamus would argue, but then his friend simply nodded and moved off to do his bidding.

As Seamus left, Ginny returned, looking much better. She had put on make-up, though her eyes were still red and puffy. Neville realised he felt more worried about Ginny than he did about himself, and oddly that made him feel more confident. He knew he'd have to make a speech in just a few minutes, but the usual sense of dread was absent. He knew what he needed to do and why he needed to do it.

He led the way down to where Seamus had gathered most of the DA together. They looked jumpy and scared, and many of them had been crying. Lavender Brown was still sniffing dramatically into an overly lacy handkerchief. There was no space left in the compartment, so he addressed them from the corridor, through the door.

'I'm sure you all know that half an hour ago, Luna was taken off the train by Death Eaters,' he began. A whisper went around the group, even though they had all watched Luna being dragged away, or at least Neville's failed rescue attempt. 'Obviously this is a great loss to us all. Luna is an incredible witch whose ability to see the world in a different way has added so much to our movement. Let's all be quiet for a moment to remember her.'

He noticed Ginny shoot him an admiring look. The idea for the silence had come from the Potterwatch broadcasts. After he felt a decent time had passed and could hear a couple of people shuffling their feet and suppressing coughs, he continued. 'Luna was dedicated to Dumbledore's Army and she would want our work to go on, even though I know that none of us feel like it at the moment. So we must carry on with our plan, as we intended.'

A murmur ran through the DA, but no one openly disagreed. After a moment Michael Corner said, 'OK, Neville. The spells are pretty much ready, we just need you to get the stuff.'

'Right.' Neville turned on his heel and headed off down the train. He found the witch with the trolley drinking tea in the small compartment closest to the engine, along with the guard, drinking tea. She jumped up when he knocked and entered, saying, 'Not more trouble?' Neville quickly reassured her everything was fine, he just wanted to buy some sweets. When he handed over his Galleons her eyes widened. 'But this is enough for the whole train!' she exclaimed. Neville shrugged and said he had the whole Christmas holiday to get through. Perhaps seeing his naturally rounded figure, the witch questioned him no further.

As he made his way back down the train, he counted the number of occupied compartments. Back with the DA, they went about dividing Neville's purchases up into that number of piles. Anthony Goldstein, whose skill in Charms had come second only to Hermione's, was carefully placing the spells created by the DA around each.

When they were ready, everyone stood together, wands raised. 'For Luna,' said Neville solemnly. Everyone echoed, 'For Luna!'

Moments later, every compartment in the train erupted in sparkling gold stars. At first the students screamed, then they laughed and clapped as they realised it was harmless. In the centre of each compartment the words 'On behalf of Harry Potter, Dumbledore's Army wishes all Hogwarts students a safe and peaceful Christmas!' Through the starry air, sweets rained down.

The mood on the train was changed completely, with students excitedly discussing whether Harry Potter had actually passed the message on. Soon several students were swearing they'd seen Harry in person delivering the sweets. Neville watched his fellow students and felt a mixture of relief that the trick had worked, and disappointment that they were prepared to forget so easily. Ginny clearly felt the same. 'How can they be so happy about a few stupid sweets when Luna's just been kidnapped in front of them?' she whispered.

Neville squeezed her arm. 'People like to hide from bad stuff, Gin. They want to be distracted. It's not because they don't care, they're hurting inside. But people don't want to face reality. If someone offers them a nice sanitised version, they'll take that. Why d'you reckon the _Prophet _still has such a big readership?'

She leant against him for a moment. 'I don't know I'd do without you, Nev. Don't leave me, please don't leave me too.'

'I'm not going anywhere,' he replied softly, praying that he would have a choice in the matter.

With the DA dispersed back to their separate compartments and doing their best to look innocent, Neville and Ginny were left alone for the rest of the journey. Neville left the compartment only once more, to visit the bathroom. On the way back, he passed Draco Malfoy, who was skulking in the corridor looking resentful. 'Where are you going, Longbottom?' he asked, sticking out his wand arm.

'Back to my compartment,' replied Neville evenly.

'Where have you been?' snapped Malfoy.

'To the toilet. I assume that is still permitted?' He went to step around Malfoy, but the other boy moved to block him.

'Better than peeing in your pants like normal,' said Malfoy, but it sounded flat and puerile. 'I know you're behind those stupid spells. Pretty sad that Dumbledore's Army has resorted to _bribery _now.'

Neville laughed softly. 'Come on Malfoy, you know I'm hopeless at complex spells. I'm surprised you'd credit me with something like that. And maybe students deserve a treat. Of course, if your compartment is that offended, I'm sure Dumbledore's Army would happily take the sweets back.'

Malfoy didn't answer and Neville felt a flush of triumph. Of course, Crabbe and Goyle would have gobbled the lot even before the golden writing had faded – they'd have accepted sweets from Voldemort himself. Malfoy continued, 'I always knew you were stupid, Longbottom, but this obsession with Harry Potter is sadder than I'd have expected even from you.'

'I'm not obsessed, Malfoy, it's called being a good friend. Not that you'd know much about that.'

Draco smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. There was something tired and mechanical about his taunting. 'Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would know that Potter is dead, or if he isn't, he will be soon. Don't you know when you're beaten? Give it up, Longbottom, before it's too late.'

'I'll never give up, _Draco_. No matter what.' He looked Malfoy full in the face. He realised that once he'd been scared of this pale Slytherin, but now he felt nothing but contempt.

'Then you're a fool. Potter cannot defeat the Dark Lord. I have seen what he is capable of. No one can stand up to him and survive.' Malfoy looked so haunted as he said this, that a shiver went down Neville's spine. 'You're a pureblood. If you got your head down and kept quiet you'd survive all this.'

Neville shook his head slowly. 'I might live, yes, but I'd rather be dead than betray my friends. Than stand by and watch wizards killing Muggles and persecuting Muggle-borns and other magical creatures. If you call that survival, I don't want to survive.'

Malfoy stepped back as though he'd been slapped. 'You'll deserve all you get then,' he spat, and turned on his heel and stormed away down the corridor.

Watching him go, Neville wondered for a moment if Malfoy had genuinely been trying to warn him. One pureblood to another. He thought of the dark shadows under Malfoy's eyes, the gauntness where he'd clearly lost weight, the way he hung back in class. For someone who was supposedly on the winning side, Malfoy looked an awful lot like someone who'd been defeated.

Back in his compartment he sat down next to Ginny, who was staring blankly out of the window. Luna's absence stretched between them, and without her odd, cheerful presence he found he wasn't sure what to say to Ginny. Something caught his eye and he bent to pick it up. It was the copy of the _Quibbler_ that Luna had been reading when the Death Eaters burst in.

He caught Ginny looking at him, and met her eyes. For a moment they just looked at each other, then he put his arms around her and they sat huddled together for the remainder of the journey.

Platform Nine and Three Quarters had never seemed so grey and bleak. Large numbers of Ministry enforcers were standing around amongst the parents, many of whom looked tired and haggard and very relieved that the train had arrived. Neville and Ginny fetched Luna's trunk as well as their own things – Crookshanks hissing furiously within his box – and emerged from the train onto the steam filled platform.

Neville left Ginny to her mother's all-encompassing hug. His Gran was easily identifiable, her favourite vulture-topped hat standing out above the crowd. He took Luna's trunk as well as his own and made his way quickly over to her and hugged her before she could say a word. 'Hi Gran, it's good to see you. I'm just going to leave my trunk with you, there's something I need to do first.'

Before she could say another word he had moved back to where he could see a lone figure wearing a wide brimmed hat with what appeared to be a plant growing out of it. Xenophilius Lovegood was craning over the heads of the crowds, trying to see Luna. Neville felt a cold knot of dread in his stomach as he walked over, Luna's trunk levitating neatly behind him.

'Mr Lovegood?' he asked politely as he reached the man.

'Yes?' he responded vaguely, still looking past Neville, searching increasingly anxiously for his daughter in the throng of people.

'Mr Lovegood, my name is Neville Longbottom, I'm one of Luna's friends,' he began. Suddenly the older man was looking directly at him, giving his full attention. His face had frozen. 'I'm very sorry, sir, but Luna was taken from the train.'

'No!' moaned Lovegood, before Neville could even finish his sentence. He sat down suddenly and Neville barely pushed Luna's trunk under him in time. Luna's father slumped, his face twisted with agony.

'I am so sorry, sir. Luna is a very brave and good person, she fought Snape and the Carrows all term and helped the younger students.' He felt tears in his eyes but he blinked them away. It was not his moment for grief.

'It's my fault, all my fault!' wailed Mr Lovegood, gripping his daughter's trunk as though she might somehow be inside. 'They've been pressurising me for weeks, making threats – they don't like what I'm writing in the _Quibbler. _But I never thought they'd attack Luna, not at Hogwarts. I thought she was _safe!_'

Ginny and her parents were approaching. He could see from Mrs Weasley's white face that Ginny had told them what had happened. She took Mr Lovegood by the shoulder. 'I'm so sorry, Xenophilius. Come on, let's get you out of here. You can come back to the Burrow with us.'

Neville caught Ginny's eye and stepped aside to speak to her. 'He says it's because of what he's writing in the _Quibbler_,' he told her in a low voice.

To his surprise, Ginny brightened up. 'That's great – if that's true, they'll have to keep Luna alive!'

'Really?' He wondered if Ginny was losing it.

'Yes; if they've kidnapped Luna to make her Dad toe the line, they can't kill her. Once they've done that there's no incentive for him to do as they say!' She stopped and caught his eye, both of them realising at the same time how tragic it was to be pleased with news that a friend was merely being held captive by cruel murderers.

'You'll take care, won't you?' Neville asked softly. 'Stay on guard, keep your wand with you all the time.'

Ginny nodded. 'You too.'

'And if any of our mutual friends show up for Christmas, give them my best.' Neville suddenly remembered something and groped in his pocket, transferring Trevor to the other side. He pulled out a small box wrapped in brightly coloured paper. 'I nearly forgot – here. Happy Christmas.' It was hard to say without sounding ironic.

'Oh Neville!' Ginny took the gift looking surprised. 'I'm sorry, I never even…'

He grinned at her. 'Just say Happy Christmas back, and come back next term. That's the best present you could give me.'

She hugged him tightly. 'I'll Owl you,' she promised. 'We won't be able to say much, but it would be good to keep in touch.'

'Ginny, come along.' Mrs Weasley was steering a blank faced Xenophilus towards the barrier. Ginny smiled sadly at Neville again, and followed her mother.

'Have you finished?' His Gran was standing beside him, holding his trunk and Trevor, who had apparently escaped his pocket.

'Sorry Gran, I had to… speak to Mr Lovegood,' he said quietly.

'I heard. You showed a lot of backbone, doing that. Your father would have done the same thing.' Neville blushed with pleasure at those words. Augusta Longbottom continued, 'And was that young lady…'

'She's just a friend,' said Neville hastily, retrieving Trevor and moving his trunk onto an abandoned trolley.

'There's no 'just' when it comes to friendship, Neville,' his grandmother reminded him, turning to leave the station.

Neville went to follow her, but before he crossed the barrier he looked back at the platform. For a second he almost imagined he could see Luna, standing next to her trunk, holding the _Quibbler. _But when he blinked there was nothing there but the swirling steam.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Spider's Web

Much to Mrs Weasley's offence, Bill and Fleur had decided to spend their first Christmas at home. This meant that much of the run up to the big day was accompanied by a tearful monologue about how ungrateful children cast off their mothers when they were no longer useful. As if Christmas dinner wasn't miserable enough, Xenophilius Lovegood had been invited. For once, Ginny was glad of the background warbling of Celestina Warbeck – it made the awkward pauses less awkward.

Xenophilius looked grey with exhaustion and his eyes were bloodshot. He didn't eat anything, and spoke only to make comments about how his 'little Luna' always loved a certain carol, or how as a small child she'd inadvertently turned all of her sprouts into bonbons. 'The icing sugar combined with the gravy to make a rather interesting accompaniment to the turkey, we've made it every year since,' he commented, his voice trailing sadly away.

After dinner Ginny longed to escape outside, and the boys gave her the perfect excuse by suggesting they went out for some Quidditch practice. But before she could go, Mr Lovegood beckoned her over. She went to his chair, trying not to look as reluctant as she felt. She could smell the sherry on his breath and suspected he'd already had a few glasses before joining them. Lovegood seemed to be searching his pockets for something. Finally he produced a package, which he promptly dropped.

Once he'd retrieved it, Ginny had already seen that it appeared to be wrapped in an old edition of the _Quibbler. _It was a square, flatish shape. Harry's face stared out at her – it was the copy where he'd given his exclusive interview about the return of Voldemort. Lovegood spoke, his voice heavy with emotion and alcohol. 'I found thish in my little Luna's trunk,' he slurred, holding the parcel out to Ginny with unsteady hands. 'Chrishmash present for you,' he ended on a hiccough.

Unsure of what to say, other than 'thank you', Ginny took the package. She tried not to look too hard at Harry's picture, his younger self grinning his rather anxious, bemused smile. It seemed a shame to open the package, destroy what Luna herself had wrapped, but she did it anyway, being careful not to tear the paper with Harry's photo.

Inside the parcel was a photograph frame made of a strange, gauzy metal, woven into a square. In the centre was one of the pictures Colin had taken of Ginny, Neville and Luna with the unicorns. The two girls had their arms round each other and Luna was beaming so widely it hurt Ginny to look at. She felt as though she couldn't breathe.

As she stared at the picture, she heard Mr Lovegood say, 'Spidersh' web – tha'sh what she used for the frame, you know. Her mother used to make gifts from it. With the right spells it can be woven to make thingsh as strong as metal, and twishe as beautiful.' He gave a hiccoughing sob. 'Her mother used to say life was like shpidersh' web… beautiful, and strong, but if you catch it at the wrong angle, fragile.'

Ginny tried to answer but found her voice had gone. She felt the heat behind her eyes. She couldn't look at Xenophilius, at any of them. Suddenly, she had to get away. Blindly she rushed up the stairs to her bedroom and flung herself onto her bed, sobbing so hard she thought she'd choke. It was so unfair, so cruel, so wrong! As she cried, she cried not just for Luna, but for her other lost friends. For her brother Ron, out of his depth and in danger. For Hermione, the girl she considered almost as a sister. And for Harry, beloved, beautiful Harry, the boy who'd been so briefly hers but was now lost to a higher cause.

Her mother came in and took Ginny into her arms, letting her cry on. 'She's sixteen, Mum,' said Ginny eventually. 'What are they doing to her?' Mrs Weasley, said nothing. 'Why did she have to be taken away? Why has everyone had to go, Mum? Why did there have to be a war, and why did everyone I care about have to be in it? It's so unfair!'

She waited for her Mum to tell her that life was unfair, but all she said was, 'I know it is, my love. I know. It isn't fair at all.'

A group of carol singers had gathered in the lobby of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and their voices echoed in the large space. Neville dug some change out of his pocket and added it to one of the bowler hats laid out in front of the choir. 'Do come along, Neville,' snapped his grandmother, always tense around visiting time.

The closed ward was decked out in brightly coloured decorations, and Celestina Warbeck's voice burbled merrily from the wireless by the Healers' station. Healer Strout greeted them warmly, 'Merry Christmas Mrs Longbottom, Neville. Goodness me, Neville, you've grown!'

'Have I?' he asked, surprised. He hadn't noticed any of his clothes getting smaller.

'It's because you stand up properly these days,' his Gran explained, leading the way over to his parents' beds. 'Something about the way you carry yourself. More manly. I've always told you the importance of good comportment. Merry Christmas, Frank darling.' His Gran leant in to kiss his father, who was sitting in the armchair next to his bed wearing the usual expression of bewilderment.

'Hi Mum,' said Neville, to the woman in the bed next to him. Someone had dressed her in a nightgown with reindeer on it and she was wearing a green paper crown. She looked in Neville's general direction, but her eyes did not meet his. 'Happy Christmas,' he continued, carefully removing his present and handing it over to her. She didn't reach to take it, so he lay it down on the bed in front of her.

'I expect you've had your dinner,' Gran was saying to his Dad. She always spoke slightly too loudly to his parents, as though by shouting she had a better chance of penetrating the haze they were in. 'We went to Ethel's this year, she overdid the sprouts as usual, not that it stopped Mr Greedy here having seconds.'

'The stuffing was really good though,' said Neville. 'You should have seen the pigs in blankets – you'd have loved them, Dad.' He saw the look on his Gran's face. 'But not as good as Gran's, obviously.'

'I'm afraid to say it's a pretty bleak picture elsewhere,' continued his grandmother, selecting a chair and pulling it up as close as possible to her son. 'They've completely infiltrated the Ministry and all Muggleborns are being hounded out. That dreadful Snape man is making a terrible meal of things at Hogwarts, just as we feared. The people he's hired as teachers! I shouldn't be surprised if Neville doesn't pass a single exam.'

'Hey!' said Neville, rather indignantly. 'Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick are still good teachers, and I don't _want _to pass Dark Arts. I'm only doing it because they won't let us change.'

His Grandmother continued as though he hadn't spoken. 'Honestly, Frank, you would be ashamed to see the Aurors. A whole Squad devoted to tracking down the Potter boy! A seventeen year old whelp – and they still can't find him! It's just not the same these days. Of course, I told you about poor Alastor – such a loss. I can almost feel him turning in his grave at what the Squad has become, and poor Rufus of course.'

Neville turned his attention back to his Mum. 'Shall I help you unwrap your present, Mum?' he asked gently, before loosening the paper. She watched him with an anxious look on his face. 'Ooh, look, what d'you reckon it is Mum?' He eased away the paper to reveal a pair of fleece lined slippers. 'They'll keep your feet really nice and cosy!' he told her.

Alice Longbottom blinked at the slippers as though she'd never seen such a thing before. After some time, she reached into her dressing gown pocket and removed something, which she held out to Neville. 'For me?' he asked. 'Thank you, Mum.' He took the object and realised it was a chocolate frog card of Dumbledore. He looked up into her face and caught her eye. For a second she held his gaze, before backing off in confusion.

Neville and his Gran remained for some time, Gran listing all the goings-on the in world to his father, who gazed past her left ear. If he was moved to hear of the deaths of former colleagues, or the changes to the world he'd once fought to protect, then he showed no sign of it. Alice hummed the tune of a carol as she picked at her bedclothes. Finally, his Gran rose to her feet. 'Well, I suppose we'd better get going. We're expected at Archie's for tea. Come along, Neville.'

'Bye, Mum, bye, Dad,' he said softly, hugging his mother as gently as he could. He was always afraid she might break, so small and frail did she appear. As always, he patted his father's shoulder awkwardly. His father didn't move and continued to stare fixedly at the Christmas tree in the corner, but his mother responded slightly to his hug and briefly squeezed his arm. He got that feeling again, that something deep within her knew who he was and understood him. If only that small part could get out. 'I love you, Mum,' he said quietly.

Outside the ward he looked again at the chocolate frog card. 'She gave me this,' he said, showing his Gran. 'D'you think… she was trying to encourage me? You know, telling me to keep going with Dumbledore's Army?'

'I think it was probably the nearest thing she had to hand,' said his Grandmother sniffily. Then she saw his face. 'Perhaps some part of her still realises that Dumbledore is – was – someone we respected.' She increased her pace. 'You know, your parents would very heartily approve of your Dumbledore's Army. That you're not only standing up to the authorities at school, but leading the effort. If your father were at school, it's exactly what he would have done. Now come along, we mustn't be late for Archie.'

Neville followed her with a lighter heart. He knew he was never likely to get much greater praise from his Grandmother. Even if his parents didn't know much about what was going on around them now, the thought that they would approve of what he was doing gave him a glow of warmth which stayed with him even as he entered the chill of the winter night.

It was several days after Christmas. Ginny was sitting on her bed, trying to write to Neville. She'd been starting and stopping all day, having already put it off for the whole of the previous day. Now she knew she had to write something, as Neville would almost certainly be eagerly awaiting a reply. So far she'd managed, _Dear Neville, Thanks for your last owl. _She picked up the quill again, stared at the parchment, then put it down.

'It's all right for you,' she said to the photographs of her friends, waving tirelessly to her from the bedside table. 'You don't have to try and think of things to write that sound cheerful and don't give away any information the Ministry might use against us.' She swore under her breath. 'Here I go again, talking to you lot like you're real. I'm going insane you know. Sitting inside all day, talking to myself.'

Downstairs she heard the front door shut; her Dad must be back from work. She frowned and forced herself to concentrate. _Glad your Mum gave you a card. _She threw down the quill again. 'For goodness sake, what am I meant to say? His Mum doesn't know Dumbledore from the doorpost and probably doesn't have any more idea about her son.' She slumped back onto her pillows and covered her eyes with her hands.

Then she heard her mother's voice, higher and more anxious than usual, exclaiming about something. Feeling instantly sick, she got to her feet and moved quickly to the top of the stairs. She was preparing herself for the worst when her mother called her down. In the kitchen, Mrs Weasley looked pale and upset, and Mr Weasley rather dishevelled. 'What is it?' she asked. The real unspoken question hung unsaid between them. _Who _is it?

'It's Xeno Lovegood,' said her father, making her heart do a strange somersault. She knew she'd felt a terrible, guilty relief for a moment, that it wasn't one of her brothers or Harry. 'I went to his place from work, to check up on how he's doing, and the house has been destroyed.'

'Destroyed?' echoed Ginny in horror.

'Yes, blown apart. It's just a ruin. There's no sign of Xeno and a Dark Mark over the house. I went over to the Culvers – they're the nearest wizard family – and they said they'd heard the bang and one of the sons went to investigate. He didn't want to get too close, but he arrived just as Xeno was being dragged off to Azkaban by a pair of Death Eaters.'

'Azkaban,' repeated Ginny, as her mother gasped, 'Poor Xeno!'

'But he printed what they wanted him to!' exclaimed Ginny, rousing from her state of shock. 'He put in that stupid picture of Harry and that 'undesirable' crap! What else did they want him to do?'

Arthur shook his head. 'It's impossible to know what they want; the Death Eaters aren't reasonable people. Xeno would have followed their orders to the letter, but once he'd printed the paper they probably thought that was enough. I suppose they thought he was too unpredictable to carry on – they've already got the _Prophet _for spreading their propaganda. I blame myself, I should have persuaded him to get some proper protection, a Fidelius charm or something.'

'He'd never have accepted it, Arthur,' said Molly, squeezing her husband's shoulder. 'He wouldn't have done anything that might have antagonised them, he was so terrified about that poor little girl.'

'Mum, what's going to happen to Luna now?' asked Ginny, suddenly full of dread again.

Her mother couldn't meet her eye, and it was her father who answered. He gently pressed her down into a chair first. 'They may keep her prisoner – if anyone knows that she was friends with Harry, there's a chance they might hold on to her in case they can use her as bait. But there's a chance… well, to be honest Ginny, there's a chance that they killed her shortly after she was taken. Xeno never had any evidence she was still alive, just the Death Eaters' word – and that's not worth anything.'

Ginny felt as though the words were coming to her from a great distance, perhaps underwater. They reached her ears, and came into her brain, and registered, but the meaning was too big and awful to comprehend. Since the initial horror of Luna's kidnap, she'd managed to convince herself her friend was alive. That there was still hope. Somehow, the fact that she'd probably been deceiving herself for the past week seemed as bad as the fact that her best friend was probably dead.

She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there for, vaguely aware of her mother crying, her Dad's warm hand on her shoulder. Bizarrely, she found herself thinking about an Astronomy essay she was supposed to write. A random piece of information about the constellation of Aquarius had come into her mind, and she found herself thinking how she could weave it into the essay. She'd never really wanted to take Astronomy, she'd only done it because Luna had. McGonagall had thought her stupid, but now she was glad. She remembered their last lesson, where Luna had driven Professor Sinistra to distraction by focussing on all the wrong planet groups and ascribing her own names to them.

Thinking back, Ginny knew why Luna had done it. She'd been trying to cheer Ginny up. So much of Luna's seemingly random, dippy behaviour had been far from it.

Ginny rose from the chair. 'I need to write to Neville,' she said numbly.

'Ginny, love, have some dinner…'

'I don't want dinner, I need to write to Neville. He doesn't know. He needs to know.'

She walked through the empty rooms of the Burrow. As she climbed the rickety stairs she had a strange sensation of disassociation. She watched a red headed girl walking up a staircase. The girl had an upturned nose and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks, and her shoulders slumped inside her overlarge jumper. She watched the girl bend her knee and lift her leg, place her foot on the next step and bring the other to join it, without feeling the tread beneath her foot.

With a lack of interest, she saw the girl enter a bedroom. Figures in pictures laughed at her from a fantasy world of sunshine and fun. Her own self giggled as she cavorted with photograph people trapped in an endless loop. A quill lay on the bed, a piece of parchment on the floor. A tiny owl fluttered in the corner. The girl picked up the quill and inked the nib, then began to write. As she watched, her vision zoomed out, leaving behind the tiny house marooned in the darkness, an insignificant island in a world that was devoid of colour and light.

Neville flattened himself against a wall and tried to breathe silently, which wasn't easy when his chest was heaving with exertion. Next to him, he could feel Ginny quivering with tension. He felt as though sparks might fly from his fingers, he felt so alert. A few seconds later, they heard a roar of rage. 'These pesky little brats! When I get my hands on 'em, I'm gonna skin 'em alive!'

The two fled along the corridor and were already half way up the stairs before Amycus Carrow could be heard in the corridor, bellowing with rage again at the sight of a slogan daubed on the wall in foot high letters, 'Dumbledore's Army – Still Recruiting!' Neville led the way along another corridor lit with moonlight, and then up the north stairs back towards Gryffindor. They waited until they reached the Common Room before they stopped.

'That was fun,' said Ginny, her cheeks flushed from exhilaration.

'That was close,' Neville corrected her, uneasily going back to the portrait hole and risking a peek outside. 'Too close. We're taking stupid risks Gin…'

'Oh Neville, stop being such an old woman! The only time I feel truly alive is when I'm out there, doing something, taking a risk! Don't you get a thrill from it? Come on, you've gotta admit, it feels pretty amazing.' She grinned at him, and as always he felt taken about by the way she could change so dramatically from one hour to the next.

'It's exciting,' he admitted, 'but sooner or later, they're going to catch us.'

Ginny made a casual gesture with her hand. 'Let them. Do I look like I care? So what if they catch us. They can do what they like to me. Luna's gone, Harry's gone, Ron's gone, Hermione's gone – the twins and my parents can look after themselves. You and me, Nev, we've got nothing to lose.'

He hated it when she talked like that. 'We've got a lot to lose,' he reminded her. 'Our families, our place here at Hogwarts – if we get expelled, we're not going to be able to do much about the Carrows then, are we? And what about all the other kids?'

She shrugged, but he could feel her calming down. 'You always have to put a dampener on everything. Why can't you just be reckless?'

'That was pretty reckless!' He looked at her, exasperated. 'I don't know what to make of you, Ginny. Sometimes I can hardly get you to talk to me, others it's all I can do to stop you attacking Snape and the Carrows in front of the whole school.'

'Least I'm never dull!' She pulled him into a brief hug, then kissed the top of his head and ran over to the girls' stairs. 'G'night!' she called back as she disappeared.

Neville climbed the stairs more slowly and took his time changing into his pyjamas. As he returned from the bathroom, Seamus spoke from his bed. 'You're back late.'

'Sorry, did I wake you?' Neville pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.

'Na, I was awake anyway. Been doing DA stuff?'

'Yeah. We put a load of graffiti on the walls around the Dark Arts room, then Ginny went in and did a load of stuff in Carrow's office too. We woke him up and he nearly caught us, had to run all the way back.' He sank back onto the pillows and looked up at the top of his four poster. In the fourth year he'd managed to get some faintly glowing stars up there, one of the charms he'd mastered more easily.

'She's a bloody maniac,' said Seamus into the darkness. 'I swear, the girl's trouble through and through.'

'She didn't used to be that way, she used to be fun. All those years we hung out, on the edge of Harry's group… she was always opinionated, and you wouldn't want to cross her, but this is different,' replied Neville, thinking about his conversation with Ginny, the flush on her cheeks and wild brightness in her eyes. Suddenly, he voiced the thought he didn't allow to come to the fore too often, but somehow the darkness made it safe to say. 'I miss Luna. She always knew the right thing to say. And she used to make me laugh, even though she was bonkers. I… I just miss her.' He felt a lump in his throat that prevented him from saying more.

Seamus paused before replying. 'It's amazing how you notice all the time when someone who used to be there, isn't any more. You can't get away from it.'

Neville knew his friend was talking about more than just Ginny and Luna. 'Sometimes, I think I see her, out of the corner of my eye. And I jump and look round… and it's some other girl, with blonde hair, or maybe not even blonde. Then I feel stupid.'

The other boy laughed mirthlessly. 'I sometimes remember a joke or something, and I turn to Dean to tell him, and I feel surprised he isn't there. Then it's like I go through it all over again, remembering what's happened.'

They both fell quiet, staring at the ceilings of their respective beds. After a few moments, Seamus said, 'That's the trouble with women, they're all bloody crazy. Look at Lavender – you'd think she was pretty normal, right? Wrong. Look how bonkers she went over Ron last year. Ron, for goodness sake! She never even batted an eye at yours truly. Just goes to show. They're all insane.' He contemplated. 'That's what was different about that Luna. She was mad, but in a way you could see. I liked her.' He sounded surprised by that realisation.

Neville sighed and turned over. 'Anyway, I'm going to have to ease off a bit on the DA stuff. They're getting really twitchy about it. I don't want to get any of the others into danger.'

'Yeah, it would be good if at least two Gryffindor boys made it to the end of seventh year,' said Seamus. 'Well, night.'

'Good night,' said Neville thoughtfully. He shut his eyes and tried to think about Herbology, to block out the sadness he felt over Luna, until he finally fell asleep.

Seamus Finnegan returned from the bathroom to his dormitory one icy January evening, and had a shock to see a red headed figure sitting on a bed. 'What the-!' he exclaimed. For a second he thought Ron Weasley had reappeared. Then he realised the hair was longer, the figure slighter. The disappointment only increased his irritation. 'What the hell are you doing in here?' he asked angrily, throwing his robes down at the end of his bed.

Ginny looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. 'I was worried about Neville. He's not back from detention yet. I thought I'd come up and just check he hadn't got back without me noticing.'

'Well, he didn't, all right? And he's got enough to think about without you stalking him.' Seamus kicked off his slippers, one going right under the bed.

A flush of colour rushed across Ginny's cheeks. 'I'm not stalking him!' she exclaimed hotly. 'He's the best friend I've got – the only friend I've got left! Aren't I supposed to care about him?'

'You don't need to start wandering around his bedroom,' snapped Seamus, snatching his wand. 'In case you didn't notice, he already has a friend who shares his dorm and can keep an eye out for him. Or don't I count for anything? _Accio!' _The slipper zoomed from under the bed and narrowly missed Ginny.

'Why d'you have to be so horrible to me all the time?' cried Ginny, grabbing the slipper and holding it against her like a hostage. Tears rushed up into her eyes. 'You've behaved like a total jerk all year!'

'I'm not being horrible, just 'cos I don't spend all my time pussyfooting around you in case I upset your precious feelings. Man, you're aging Neville faster than Snape and the Carrows put together. High maintenance. I can do without it meself.' He glowered at her across the room.

'If this is about Dean-' she began.

'Merlin forbid it should be about anyone but you!' retorted Seamus. 'Now if you don't mind, I need to get some sleep, so get out of my room.'

'It's Neville's room too and I'm not leaving until he gets back!' Ginny squared up to him angrily, and Seamus moved his wand up. But both were interrupted by a weary voice from the stairs.

'What is going on? What are you doing up here, Gin?' Neville was standing in the dormitory doorway, looking like of all the things he'd hoped to find on his arrival back to his bedroom, Ginny and Seamus about to duel wasn't one of them.

Seamus lowered his wand and looked embarrassed. 'She came up here looking for you, I told her she didn't need to-'

'I was worried about you! I started thinking they'd got you too!' She was beginning to cry. 'I thought I'd never see you again!'

'Oh please,' muttered Seamus, rolling his eyes, but he fell quiet at a look from Neville.

'Ginny, you've got try not to get so worried. I was in detention, OK, that's all. Look, I got five hundred lines on 'I must not contradict Professor Carrow'.' He held out a raw and bleeding hand. 'She bumped up the number when I commented on how impressed I was she could use such a big word as 'contradict'. I've got a sore hand, but I'm not going anywhere.' He reached out and gave her an awkward pat on the arm. 'I know you care, and it's really kind of you to come and check, but now you'd better get back to bed before you start any rumours, OK?'

She nodded tearfully. 'I'm sorry,' she muttered, reluctantly moving to leave.

'Don't be sorry, there's nothing to be sorry for. G'night!' Neville called after her, before turning to Seamus, who'd removed a bottle of Murtlap essence from his bedside cabinet and brought it over.

'Nothing to be sorry for apart from scaring the bejeezus out of me and wandering around in our bedroom uninvited,' he said, removing the dropper from the bottle. 'What if I'd been naked? This'll sting a bit.'

'Seamus, since when have either of us walked around the dorm – ow! – naked?' Neville shook his smarting hand.

'That's not the point. Point is, if I wanted to, I should be able to without fear of walking into some perving girl,' he muttered, dabbing the murtlap over Neville's hand untidily.

Neville opened his mouth to defend Ginny, but realised he didn't have the energy. Instead he gritted his teeth as the murtlap worked its way into the cuts. Seamus pulled a face. 'You're not going to have much hand left soon. You need a proper Healer.'

'Yeah well, no chance of that. Pomfrey's not supposed to help, and the only other Healer I know is Healer Strout, and hands aren't really her area of expertise.' A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he didn't hear Seamus' reply. He went over to his bedside cabinet and pulled out a quill and parchment.

'You're not doing your homework now?' said Seamus in disbelief. He Transfigured the murtlap bottle back into an alarm clock. It looked decidedly long and thin and didn't have any hands, but would probably be good enough to fool Filch in case of an inspection. The administration had taken to spot-checking students' possessions in order to confiscate 'prohibited articles' which included any Muggle items and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products. Neville and Seamus seemed to come up with surprisingly regularity in the 'random' selection process.

'Just writing a letter, won't be long. See you in the morning.' Neville inked the quill, and ignoring the pain in his hand began to write. _Dear Healer Strout, I hope you can help me…_

Neville knocked on the door and stepped back. He tried not to look apologetic. He heard a shuffling from behind the door and a moment later it opened a few inches. 'Yes?'

'Professor Slughorn? I'm sorry to disturb you sir, it's Neville Longbottom.'

The door opened wider and Slughorn beamed at him. 'Well, well, well! What an unexpected surprise! Come in, come in!' The teacher ushered him inside with a sweeping gesture. Neville entered somewhat reluctantly. He still thought of Slughorn's office as Snape's domain. 'Can I get you a drink? Butterbeer? Nice cup of tea?'

'Er… butterbeer, thank you.' Neville looked around the office whilst Slughorn fetched his drink.

'So, Mr Longbottom! Dare I even say, the elusive Mr Longbottom.' Slughorn chuckled merrily as he uncorked a bottle with a flick of his wand and poured himself a glass of something that looked rather stronger. 'You're giving Professor Snape quite the run around at the moment. I must say, I'm impressed. Behind that affable exterior you've turned out to be quite the young hero.' He handed Neville the bottle and chinked it with his own glass. 'Cheers!'

'Cheers,' said Neville uncertainly, taking a sip of his drink.

'So, to what do I owe the pleasure, Mr Longbottom?' asked Slughorn. A look of anxiety passed across his plump face. 'I hope you don't expect me to get involved in this Dumbledore's Army business, because you have to understand, my boy, I couldn't possibly countenance such a thing! The administration here would never allow it. I do hope you understand…'

Neville interrupted quickly. 'I wouldn't dream of it sir. I was hoping you could help me with a potion – it's nothing to do with Dumbledore's Army – it's to help a friend. She's… ill… not herself. I know a Healer at St Mungo's, and she suggested this-' He held out the parchment. 'I asked Madam Pomfrey but she said potions making wasn't her forte…'

Slughorn laughed, back to his former hearty self now the threat of assisting Dumbledore's Army had passed. 'Indeed, indeed. Poppy Pomfrey was one of my first students – adequately capable, but no potions master, that's for sure!' He looked at the contents of Healer Strout's letter. 'Hmmm… intriguing mixture, simple enough to make, I think. A mild calming draught combined with a cheering concoction. What did you say was wrong with your friend?'

Neville struggled to find the words. 'She's… I don't know. Sort of unhappy, but not just normally unhappy, so unhappy she can't do things very well. Sometimes she can be this really strong, argumentative, funny person – then others she's really quiet and closed off, and she gets upset about things easily. I thought, perhaps it was an illness, so I asked Healer Strout…'

'Doesn't sound like an illness to me, lad,' said Slughorn cheerily, taking the letter and going over to his ingredients store. 'But I don't see the harm in making the potion, since it comes from St Mungo's. It should be administered by Madam Pomfrey of course.'

'That would be very kind sir, thank you so much.' Neville put down his half-finished butterbeer and began edging towards the door.

'No problem, no problem at all, Longbottom. As you know, I'm always at the disposal of certain… gifted students. Such a shame I haven't been able to hold any of my little get-togethers lately… maybe next year, when things are a bit calmer… Well, don't be a stranger, Longbottom, and I hope this little 'friend' of yours is back to herself soon!'

Neville backed out of the room thanking Slughorn profusely. He had to jog all the way to the top of the castle to get back to Gryffindor tower before curfew. 'Where've you been?' greeted Seamus, as he clambered panting through the portrait hole. 'We thought you weren't going to make it back!'

'DA stuff,' he said shortly, and used his breathlessness as an excuse not to elaborate. He had no intention of explaining his plan to Seamus. He knew the other boy would neither understand nor approve.

Hagrid was crying loudly into a handkerchief the size of a tea towel. 'She were the bes' student I ever 'ad!' he gasped between sobs. 'Never known anyone with such a nat'ral way with animals!'

The little crowd of mourners had gathered outside the greenhouses in a steady drizzle. The DA had come along, along with most of the teachers and some of the other Ravenclaws. Of the teachers, only the Carrows were missing. Even Professor Trelawney was there, weeping into a handkerchief almost as big as Hagrid's. Snape stood a short distance away, cloak wrapped around him against the elements, his face inscrutable. Neville had been surprised and somewhat disturbed by the arrival of the Headmaster at the memorial service to mark Luna's birthday. He hadn't even expected it to be allowed to go ahead, but Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had been adamant.

Ginny's theory was that Snape had to keep up an appearance of caring about the students – the pureblood ones at least. 'If he starts condoning children getting kidnapped, he'll have a parent mutiny on his hands. He has to pretend he's upset by it, even though the bastard probably drew the Death Eaters a map and handed over the train timetable in person.' She was standing beside Neville now, pale and grim, but somehow stronger. He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back.

'And now,' squeaked Professor Flitwick, 'as we remember Luna, we hope with all our hearts that she is somewhere unharmed, and will be returned to us. In the meantime, we light these candles as a symbol of the love we feel for her, a love that will never fade with time or absence.' He held the tip of his wand to the wick of a candle and whispered the incantation. It burst into a bluish flame that flickered strongly despite the damp.

One by one, the gathered students and teachers produced similar candles and ignited the wicks. Neville and Ginny helped some of the younger students with theirs. When all of the candles were burning, Flitwick levitated them together with a swish of his wand, and they floated skywards until they were lost in the mist and gloom.

The mourning party broke up awkwardly, with students straggling back to the Castle. Neville, Ginny and Seamus hung back to speak to Hagrid. 'Little Peverell is pinin' away,' he told them sadly. 'He misses 'er, I can tell. Sensitive creatures, unicorns, they can tell when summut bad 'as 'appened.'

'Did you see Snape?' asked Seamus in a low voice. 'He even lit a candle, the evil sod.'

'I saw,' replied Ginny through gritted teeth. 'I know where I'd have liked to shove his candle.'

'Just say the word and I'll give you a hand.' The two grinned at each other, then quickly looked away.

'It's all goin' wrong,' Hagrid was saying, picking bits from his horrible orange suit. ''Ogwarts just ain't the same no more. 'Dumbledore dead, Arry's gone, and Ron and 'Ermione, now Luna too. The fourth years set fire to me beard on Tuesday-'

'That's terrible, Hagrid!'

'-but I couldn't punish 'em. 'Ow could I hand 'em over to the Carrows, knowin' the sort o' stuff they do to kids? Look at yer poor hand, Neville! An' yers, Seamus. I couldn't do tha' to a kid, not even Antonius Avery. Bu' they know, they know the other teachers ain't got no respect for me. They tolerate me at the moment because I've got wizard blood, no doubt about tha', but once they've finished with the Muggleborns it'll be half-breeds nex', you mark my words.' He wiped his eyes. 'Anyways, yeh'd better be gettin' back to the Castle, or yeh'll be in trouble for breaking one or other of their rules.'

'I'm going to check on my broom, that way we can't get stopped for being a gathering of more than two students,' said Seamus. 'I'll see you back at Gryffindor.'

Ginny slipped her arm through Neville's and they walked up to the Castle in silence. The rain had closed in more, blocking out all but their immediate surroundings. In the muffled and close atmosphere, Neville felt strongly the sensation that they did not walk alone. He felt certain that just beyond the edge of his vision, his absent friends kept pace beside him. Ginny must have sensed it too, because as they reached the Castle she said, 'I know it sounds stupid, but I really do believe that if you think hard enough about a person, that person can sense it, even if they're far away.'

Neville wasn't sure he agreed, so he made a non-committal noise. After a pause, Ginny continued, 'The potion… it's helping. I feel different. Better. Not happy exactly, the bad things are still all there, but like I can deal with them.'

He smiled. 'That's good, Gin. Really good.' There was an awkward moment, before Neville changed the subject. 'I'm worried that Hagrid might be right.'

She sighed, and nodded. 'I've never understood why they kept him on, even. Hagrid's not only a half-breed but a known supporter of Dumbledore and Harry.'

'Who else could they get to keep the grounds up and the Forest in check?' Neville suggested. 'I mean, if the Carrows are the best calibre of teachers they can get from the Death Eater pool, goodness knows what they'd send us as a groundskeeper. We'd probably end up with Mr Crabbe or someone. The centaurs would overrun the Forest and then probably the grounds too in no time.'

'I hope you're right, Neville. Because the number of people left at Hogwarts who are on our side is decreasing at an alarming rate.'


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – The Support Harry Potter Party

The master communication Galleon glinted in the firelight as Neville carefully adjusted the numbers, checking against a piece of parchment. He still found it a strange sensation to give instructions and have people follow them. The DA were finding it increasingly hard to meet, but by using the coins he was coordinating an effort to expand the remnant of the Twins' swamp around the school.

There were now offshoots developing in the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies classrooms, in the Great Hall under the Slytherin table, and in the Carrows' bedrooms. Anthony, Michael and Padma had worked out a hideously complex augmentation spell, meaning any efforts to magically remove the swamps simply made them increase in size. Every day, members of the DA with enough Charms ability would work a small piece of magic more, in different areas. By spreading it around that way they had avoided detection, although it was too risky for Neville or Ginny to try anything in person.

Ginny was hidden behind a copy of _Keeping Water Demons for Profit and Pleasure_, which looked as though it had been chewed. Seamus was doing homework too, a huge essay for Flitwick which as usual he'd left until the last minute. Neville finished updating the coin and threw the parchment into the fire. He watched it blacken and curl in the flames.

'Hagrid's acting oddly,' said Ginny, breaking into his thoughts.

'Hagrid always acts oddly,' pointed out Seamus. Ginny glared at him before she continued.

'He keeps going on about Dumbledore. He says he keeps asking himself, what would Dumbledore have done?'

'Done about what?' asked Neville, reaching for the poker.

'I don't know, he won't say. Just goes on and on about how Dumbledore always knew the right thing to do and how everything was better when he was around.' She watched Neville break up the crumbling remains of the parchment into smouldering embers.

'Still don't see what's odd about that,' said Seamus irritably. 'He's been going on like that all year.'

'This is different,' snapped Ginny. 'He just seems… I don't know. I can't really describe it. He's bothered about something. I think some of the younger Slytherins are giving him a hard time, and he doesn't feel he can punish them because of what the Carrows will do. He's been saying how Hogwarts isn't like his home anymore.' She chewed the end of her quill. 'I'm scared he'll leave.'

'Hagrid won't leave,' said Neville, confidently. 'Where would he go? He wouldn't leave the animals, or the other teachers, or us.'

'I'm not so sure. He doesn't think it's the right place for him. He wants to fight back, and he can't really do that here, can he? Not with Snape in charge. It's no different to how we feel, being stuck in school not able to do anything much useful, except at least we have the DA.'

Satisfied that the parchment was beyond resurrection, Neville laid the poker down. 'I still think you're worrying unnecessarily, Gin. Think of all the times Hagrid's had to leave before – he's always come straight back. I just can't see him leaving by choice.'

'Maybe you're right. Anyway, I guess I'd better get this homework done while he's still here to mark it.'

Snape surveyed his charges with a look of utmost contempt. It was a Friday evening towards the end of term. The remnants of dinner had been magically whisked away before Neville had got to his second helping of crumble. He and Ginny were sitting alone together, Seamus having been allowed a weekend away to visit a sick relative. Neville was privately dreading his empty dorm and was surprised by how much he missed Seamus.

'The more observant among you may have noticed we appear to have a problem with vandalism in certain areas of the Castle. Some students believe it is amusing to encourage the growth of swamps within our hallowed halls.' Snape steepled his fingers and glared down them like the barrel of a gun. 'I can assure you, the joke is wearing rather thin.'

He rose to his feet. 'Students attend Hogwarts because they wish to be associated with a venerable and esteemed school of magic. Those of you with any intelligence whatsoever, realise that even the meanest collection of OWLs are elevated by the status of having attained them at Hogwarts. The Hogwarts name is a passport throughout the world to good employment.'

'With teachers like the Carrows, it's no wonder,' muttered Ginny.

'But reputation takes many centuries to build, and very little time to destroy. The antics of these petty troublemakers may seem amusing, or trivial, but every act of disobedience weakens the fabric of this fine institution. Honoured guests visit Hogwarts on a regular basis – leaders of industry, senior government figures – and these people expect to see a school that is well maintained. If they find childish daubings on the walls and swamps growing in the Great Hall, they are left with a lesser impression of the school , and accordingly, of its alumni. Perhaps they will think more kindly of students from Beauxbatons, whose halls, I can assure you, are unfailingly impeccable.'

Neville and Ginny rolled their eyes at each other. On the podium, Snape was pacing, swishing his cloak theatrically. Neville whispered, 'Hope you're sitting comfortably, looks like we're in for the long haul.'

'Let us not mince words. We know who are behind these childish acts; the illegal terrorist group calling itself 'Dumbledore's Army'. Troublemaking students, who are dragging the name of the school down – and the prospects of everyone in this hall with it.' At this, some of the Slytherins booed loudly before Snape continued. 'For some time I have appealed to the better natures of the members of this organisation. I have offered clemency and forgiveness. But I cannot continue to do so when the needs of other students are put in jeopardy.'

Snape paused and the Slytherins obliged with applause, a second too late. The Headmaster continued, 'I am therefore asking any student with evidence as to the identity of the leaders of Dumbledore's Army to come forwards. Let us cut out this rot that grows within us, before the mould spreads to contaminate you all. I am warning the ringleaders now,' Snape looked hard at Ginny and Neville, 'there is nowhere to hide and nowhere to run to. When I find out who is behind Dumbledore's Army, I will ensure they receive a punishment they do not forget, regardless of blood status.'

On the High Table, Neville saw Hagrid mopping his brow and looking uncomfortable. Professor McGonagall kept her eyes down. The Carrows leaned forward, eyes glittering in anticipation at meting out a punishment to the DA leaders.

When they were finally allowed to leave the Hall it was nearly curfew time, and everyone had to go straight to Common Rooms. 'Are you scared?' Neville asked Ginny, quietly as they climbed the many stairs towards Gryffindor tower.

She shook her head. 'He knows it's us and he's known all along. He hasn't done anything to us yet. Detention in the Forest with Hagrid hardly counts.'

'But he sounds like he means business now. Snape's nasty, Ginny, we mustn't underestimate him. They might really hurt us next time.'

'Are _you_ scared?' She turned the question back on him with a burning look.

'No. Well, a bit maybe. I'm not so much scared for me, the thought of me being hurt is nothing like as bad as the thought of you being hurt.'

This made her laugh softly, to his surprise. 'I feel the same about you. No wonder the Death Eaters started kidnapping the relatives of those they want to get at.'

They walked along the corridor quietly for a minute. 'We're carrying on then?' asked Neville.

'One hundred percent.' She squeezed his arm. 'What you up to tomorrow?'

'I reckon we should leave the swamp for a day or two. I've got a huge Herbology essay, but hopefully I'll be done by evening. I could thrash you at Gobstones after dinner if you like.'

She thumped him playfully as they entered the Common Room. 'In your dreams! Well, if you're going to be boring and study all day, I've got a Runes project I ought to finish off, and maybe I'll go down and visit Hagrid in the afternoon. He looked really worried during that speech.'

'That's a good idea. Well, maybe I'll see you at breakfast. If not, give my best to Hagrid. Tell him not to worry about us.'

It was Saturday evening, and the fire crackled merrily in the Gryffindor Common Room. Dinner was over and students were starting to gather in little groups. Ginny crashed in through the portrait hole looking wild and panicked, red hair flying everywhere. She almost collided with Colin Creevey and grabbed him. 'Colin, where's Neville?' she gasped to the startled youth.

'Neville? I haven't seen him…' began Colin, alarmed. 'What's going on?'

'Colin, I need you to find Neville, quick! Hagrid's going to get himself killed!'

Colin's eyes widened. 'Hagrid? Oh my God, how? What's happened?'

'He's holding a 'support Harry Potter' party,' explained Ginny, looking frantically around the Common Room as though Neville might jump out from behind an armchair.

'Cool!' exclaimed Colin, before seeing Ginny's face. 'OK, maybe it is a crazy idea…'

'It's completely bloody crazy!' shrieked Ginny. 'He's going to go and get himself thrown out, at best, and then that's one fewer person we'll have left here! How can he be so bloody selfish? I _told _everyone this would happen, I knew he was going to pull a stunt like this.'

'Ginny, calm down.' Colin tugged at her sleeve. 'Listen, you keep looking for Neville, I'll go down and speak to Hagrid, try and talk him out of it. Or at least stall him. Hey, Dennis! Ginny needs to find Neville, help her look will you?' The younger Creevey obligingly put down his homework and hurried over, looking pleased.

Ginny's heart sank – she'd even have preferred the assistance of Seamus to Dennis, but the seventh year was still away. She looked sceptically at the youth before her, two years her junior. He was skinny like his brother, with limbs that looked too small for his large head. 'Why don't you go and look for Neville in the library?' she suggested, hoping to get him out of the way.

'OK, but if I find him, where do I tell him to find you?' Dennis hovered, eagerly awaiting her decision.

'Tell him to coin me,' said Ginny, heading for the staircase to the boys' dorms.

'You can't go up there-' began Dennis, but stopped when he saw her face. 'I'll try the library,' he finished, hurrying in the direction of the portrait hole.

Ginny took the stairs two at a time, but to her disappointment it was a wasted journey. There was no sign of Neville in the dorm he shared with Seamus. Unsure of where to go next, she ran back down the steps, and arrived in the Common Room just as Neville entered through the portrait hole, led by a very excited Dennis.

'Gin! What's going on?' Neville hugged her before she could speak. 'Are you OK? Dennis said something about Hagrid…'

'I'm OK, Neville - he's organised a Support Harry Potter party! He says he sent out invitations and everything! We've got to stop him.' She pulled him to one side, away from the steady stream of students coming into the Common Room. It was close to curfew time.

'Damn!' Neville looked away for a moment, before collecting himself again. 'OK, we mustn't panic, we've got to get to him before any damage is done. If we can get there and stop him, then any invitations that come to light, we can say are a hoax. Come on.' He turned back to the portrait hole.

'It's after curfew!' Dennis pointed out.

'Then you'd better come with us and help keep a lookout. Are you up for that?' Neville looked the weedy boy in the eye and ignored Ginny's warning noise of dissent.

'Yes, of course. Dumbledore's Army forever!' Creevey almost fell over in his haste to get to the portrait hole.

Neville pulled him back by his robes. 'Wait! Dennis, listen, you've got to be really careful. They patrol the corridors at night. If they catch you out of bed – especially with us two – you'll be in a lot of trouble. D'you understand that?'

'I understand. Colin's out there, remember? No way is he going to do this and me stay behind.' He must have seen the look on Ginny's face because he continued, 'I'm not stupid, OK? I know how to keep a look out and I know how to defend myself if I have to, you've taught me that.'

'Good. Come on then.' The three stood aside to allow a group of sixth years through the portrait hole, and then slipped out into the corridor. They made their way quickly down the stairs, Ginny in the lead. At the fourth floor, she pushed them back up again and jumped onto another moving staircase. Neville and Dennis followed, Neville barely making it across. Amycus Carrow appeared inches from where they'd been standing, just as the steps swung away. They crouched shivering behind the bannisters as the stairs moved, Neville shutting his eyes to avoid looking at the drop from the end. As soon as they clunked into place, Ginny was back down, and then beckoning them onwards.

It was a dicey business, getting through the Castle. Although there was no way the teachers could patrol every inch of it, it was impossible to know which parts were being watched at any one time. They reached the ground floor with some relief and Ginny led the way round to the door that opened onto the path to the greenhouses. 'They don't normally lock this one,' she whispered, performing a spell to test it before pushing it open.

The three emerged into a dark night with only faint moonlight to guide them. Neville turned to Dennis. 'Listen, I want you to go and stay by the main exit. Keep down and well hidden. If Snape, or the Carrows, or Filch, or any other enemies come out, send up red stars. But wait a few minutes before you do it, or they'll catch you.'

The boy nodded, and lit his wand before slipping away into the darkness to find a hiding place. 'Come on,' said Neville grimly to Ginny. 'I think it's this way.'

It was hard to make their way through the gathering darkness, but neither dared illuminate their wands for fear of being spotted. 'If we get caught breaking curfew…' muttered Ginny. 'After all the stunts we've pulled with the DA, if Hagrid goes and blows it all for us now… I can't believe he's being so stupid.'

'This is Hagrid,' Neville pointed out, tripping on a tuft of grass and almost falling flat on his face. 'He doesn't think of it as being stupid. As far as he's concerned, he's helping out. Anyway, what happened, Gin?'

Distracted, she almost walked into a bush, and Neville had to disentangle her. 'Well, I went down to see him. That Runes stuff took loads longer than I expected so it was nearly dinner time. I didn't feel all that hungry since I'd been eating those cakes Mum sent all afternoon, so I went to Hagrid's instead. When I got there, I knew something was up. I asked him directly, and he told me he was holding a Support Harry Potter party, and hadn't I had my invitation?'

'What did you do?' asked Neville, risking lighting his wand to give them a bit more light after he nearly collided with a pine tree.

'Well…' he could tell from Ginny's voice that she was blushing. 'I kind of lost my rag a bit, actually, and yelled at him. Told him how stupid it was and so on. He just went really quiet and said he didn't see it as being stupid, he felt he'd been stupid all year following Snape and this was the most intelligent thing he'd done. He said we had the DA, and we were brave, and what had he done? Then he was going on about how worried he was we'd get caught and punished. He's convinced Snape is going to do something really awful to us.'

'So he's holding this stupid party to deflect attention from us?' Neville wasn't sure if he was following the logic.

'I hadn't thought of that, but yes, maybe that's it. But Neville, all he'll do is get himself thrown out and then they'll come after us just the same. Snape _knows_ it's us. Oh why does Hagrid have to be so stupid?' From Ginny's voice, he could tell she was winding herself up to a towering rage again.

The squat shape of Hagrid's hut was now visible. The windows were bright squares in the darkness. 'Maybe he's just had enough, Gin. Perhaps he can't live a lie any more. You know how angry we feel with McGonagall and Flitwick sometimes, when they go along with authorities all the time. I guess Hagrid is just doing what we wish they'd do – make a stand. We can't blame McGonagall and Flitwick for complying with the regime, and then blame Hagrid for deciding not to on principle.'

'Stop being so bloody reasonable, Neville. Hagrid!' Ginny banged on the door of the hut, her voice a furious whisper. 'Hagrid, open up!'

The door opened so suddenly Ginny nearly fell over the threshold. Hagrid was beaming all over his face and was dressed in his horrible hairy suit, presumably his entertaining outfit. 'Neville, Ginny, so glad yeh could make it!' he boomed. His voice suggested he'd already had more than a few drinks. He stepped aside to reveal Colin, standing wretchedly behind him. The cabin was festooned with banners reading 'Support Harry Potter!'

'I tried to stop him,' said Colin, indicating the banners. 'I managed to convince him not to put any outside, but he won't listen about the party not being a good idea.'

'I'm disappointed in yeh, Colin, I though' yeh were one of 'Arry's friends!' Hagrid moved over to the kitchen area and turned to Ginny and Neville. 'Now that yeh're here, come and help us put out the crude-dittys.' He thrust a plate of carrots, some with roots still in place, at them.

'We're not helping you put out anything, Hagrid, this is the most stupid idea I've ever heard,' hissed Ginny furiously. 'If Snape or the Carrows find out you'll be thrown out for sure!'

'Well, if tha's the case, maybe it's time I went,' Hagrid replied, putting the carrots down on the table and turning his attention to a cheese-and-pineapple hedgehog. The hedgehog didn't look very impressed and was trying to get off the tarnished silver platter. 'It's about time I started showin' support for me old friend 'Arry, and none of you lot is gonna talk me out of it. Besides, I hope Professors Snape and Carrows do find out – I sent them an invitation.'

'You did WHAT!' Even Neville found his patience exasperated. He stared at the Gamekeeper in shock. He'd never believed Ginny when she said Hagrid was ready to go. Maybe he hadn't wanted to believe it. Suddenly, despite the fact that Hagrid did little for the DA and if anything was a bit of a liability, he found he was desperate for the big man to stay. 'Please don't leave us, Hagrid,' he said, aware of how his voice sounded, hurt and afraid. 'Stay here, with us. It's hard, keeping this up.' He couldn't say any more.

Hagrid turned to him and for the first time Neville thought he might be wavering. 'Listen, Neville, I got to do this. I can't bear just standing by any more while Snape and all that makes out 'Arry's a killer. I jus' can'. All them times 'Arry told me Snape were a wrong 'un and I didn' listen. Now Dumbledore's dead and 'Arry's on the run, and three times a day I'm sitting at the same table as the man responsible for it all, saying 'yes sir, no sir' and followin' his every instruction. I can't do it, can't live with mehself anymore.'

'So you're running away? You're making a grand gesture and running?' asked Neville.

'It's not running away!' exclaimed Hagrid hotly. 'Yeh think they're gonna let me stay much longer anyways? It's a miracle Snape's le' me stay on this long as it is! I'd rather go down with a bang, than be quietly pushed out over the holidays.' Hagrid and Neville faced each other across the kitchen, the air crackling with tension. 'I'm sorry, Neville,' he continued in a softer voice, 'Ginny. I really am. But yeh know as well as I do that there ain't a place at 'Ogwarts for me much longer.'

'Can't you keep trying? They might let you stay a bit longer.' Ginny's face had the strained appearance of someone about to cry.

'Listen, I ain't worried about the pair of yeh. Not one bit. Yeh're amazing kids, both of yeh. Neville, when I think what a frightened little thing yeh were when yeh first started! You too, Ginny. I'd 'ardly recognise yeh now. An' yeh know what? Yeh don't need me. Yeh can fight on without me.'

Colin, who'd been staring out of the window, gave a yelp. 'Red stars! Is that a sign?'

'Dennis!' exclaimed Ginny. 'We left him as look out. Red stars mean people coming.'

Colin ran to the door. 'I'll hide out front and hoot like an owl when they come in sight.' He disappeared into the night.

Hagrid looked around, suddenly panic stricken. 'Yeh gotta go, yeh gotta get out! If they find yeh here… quickly, go! Both of yeh!'

'If we're quick we can still get rid of all this stuff!' Neville pulled out his wand and looked around frantically, trying to decide which spell would be most effective. 'You can say the invitations were a hoax, say you know nothing about them. Come on!' He tried to reach the banner above his head.

'There ain't time, an' I don't want yeh to. I told yeh, it's time for me to make a stand.' Hagrid gripped his shoulders, almost lifting him off the ground. 'Yeh're a good man, Neville Longbottom, I'm honoured to have known yeh. Keep up the fight.' He turned to Ginny. 'An' you too, Ginny Weasley. Yeh managed to show yeh brothers that a Weasley girl's as good as any Weasley boy!'

Ginny could hardly bear to look at Hagrid, and brushed away his kind words and hands with a shake of her head. The gamekeeper continued, 'Now yeh've gotta get out of here, before I make yeh! Go on! Where's 'Ogwarts gonna be without yeh?' He shooed them both towards to the back door, pushing them into the cold night air. 'Go!'

Neville turned back to Hagrid on the threshold, wanting to beg and cling to the big man. But Hagrid was firm, shutting the door behind them even as a desperate and rather unconvincing owl hoot sounded from the front of the hut. Fighting his instinct to go back and try to pull Hagrid out, Neville grabbed Ginny's sleeve and dragged her down in the foliage at the side of the hut.

A moment later there was more banging on Hagrid's front door. 'All righ', I'm coming,' came Hagrid's voice, affable and booming again. They heard the click of the catch and squeak of the hinges. 'Professor, what a pleasant surprise! Won' yeh come in and join me?'

'Caught in the act!' came Alecto Carrow's voice, ugly with triumph. 'Support Harry Potter, eh? You stupid great oaf! Did you really think you could do this and get away with it?'

'Yeh've caught me bang to rights, Professor.' Hagrid didn't sound frightened or upset by his predicament. In fact, he sounded as though he was enjoying himself. 'Oh well, it were only a matter of time I suppose before yeh realised who were behind Dumbledore's Army.'

Ginny made a move as if to go to the hut, and Neville grabbed her arm and held it tightly.

'You?' Carrow's voice was raucous with disbelief. 'You really expect us to believe that _you're_ the leader of Dumbledore's Army?'

'It's always the person you least expect,' continued Hagrid cheerfully. 'It were ever so easy, course I can go where I like, don' have to worry 'bout curfew or nothing. All the time you thought it were the students!'

'Enough of this chit-chat,' said an icy voice. Snape. 'Hagrid, I am most disappointed in you. I thought I could rely on you to uphold the traditions of this school. Siding with a bunch of teenage troublemakers and holding a party in support of the very boy who killed Albus Dumbledore! Tsk, tsk. And you so very _fond _of Dumbledore.'

'Don' yeh talk to me about the killer of Albus Dumbledore, Snape. I know who killed Dumbledore tha' nigh', and it weren't 'Arry. I don' know how you sleep at night.' The Gamekeeper's voice was suddenly low with menace.

'With ease,' replied Snape smoothly. 'And now, Hagrid, you've caused enough trouble in this school. It's time to relieve you of your duties.'

'Very well, but jus' remember – the spirit of 'Arry Potter and Albus Dumbledore lives on! You'll never extinguish it!'

From their hiding place in the bushes, Neville and Ginny never quite knew how what happened next unfolded. There was a crash, and a shout, and what looked like the flash of a spell, then a loud bang. Suddenly something streaked through the air into the night, apparently through the roof of Hagrid's hut. Another louder bang was followed by a shower of straw and rubble. 'Come on!' Neville pulled Ginny back, and the two retreated into the tree line, walking straight into another shadowy shape.

Neville's yell of alarm was fortunately drowned by another gargantuan bang from the direction of Hagrid's hut. The shadowy figure revealed itself to be Colin. 'What's going on?' he asked, but his question was drowned out by another explosion. This time a hugely bright light illuminated the whole area. They could make out figures on Hagrid's front lawn, presumably Snape and Carrow.

'Look!' Neville followed Colin's pointing finger to see emblazoned across the sky the words 'Support Harry Potter!' A moment later another bright flash spelt out the words 'Dumbledore's Army forever!'

The fireworks display was impressive. The whole sky lit up with images of Harry. In the meantime, the figures in Hagrid's garden appeared to be arguing. Of the giant shape of Hagrid himself, there was no sign. 'I hope he's got away!' whispered Ginny to Neville. 'You don't think he's… blown himself up, do you?'

'No,' whispered back Neville. 'He'd never have let Fang get hurt, and Fang wouldn't have left him.'

'Come on,' said Colin, tugging at their sleeves. 'We should get back up before anyone finds us here.'

They made their way back up the hill to the Castle, sticking within the treeline whenever possible. A group of shouting wizards with illuminated wands rushed past them at one point, racing towards Hagrid's hut, but the three evaded them easily. Back at the Castle, they were greeted by Dennis. 'Thank Merlin you're OK!' he squeaked, throwing his arms around his brother. 'I thought they might have got you!'

'No, we're fine, but come on quick, before they catch us out after curfew.'

The Gryffindor Common Room was full of excited students, watching the display out of the windows and discussing who was behind it. When the four friends tumbled in, they were seized upon by their classmates. Before they could explain, however, the portrait hole opened again and Professor McGonagall entered, in her now famous tartan dressing gown and slippers. 'What is going on here?' she demanded.

'Professor, have you seen the fireworks? They're amazing!' exclaimed one of the first years.

'Dumbledore's Army forever!' shouted someone else daringly from the back.

McGonagall's lips thinned. 'That is enough! I might remind you that Dumbledore's Army is a banned organisation, and anyone suspected of membership may be punished most severely.' She glared round at them. 'Do you all understand me?'

The subdued teenagers nodded, as the room lit up again with yet another vast firework from the grounds. McGonagall continued, 'If I have reason to suspect anyone in this house was behind these shenanigans, then I shall be obliged to tell the Headmaster. This school is no longer a safe place to express views in favour of Professor Dumbledore.' Neville suddenly thought how very old and lined Professor McGonagall's face looked. The firelight turned every wrinkle into a crevasse. 'Now, I suggest you all have an early night, before the Professors Carrow come looking for someone to blame. Go on!' She shooed them all towards the staircases.

Ginny and Neville hung back, allowing the younger children to go ahead, grumbling about the enforced early night. As Neville approached the stairs himself, though, McGonagall called him back. 'Longbottom! Weasley! A word, please.'

They returned to the stern Transfiguration teacher, as the last of the other Gryffindors departed up the stairs. The fireworks had stopped at last, and the Castle seemed dark and quiet without them. 'You two look as though you have been lurking around in a bush,' whispered the teacher, sweeping her gaze over their dishevelled clothing and muddy robes. 'If you give Professor Snape or Carrow any reason to think…'

'It was Hagrid,' whispered back Neville, sharply. 'Hagrid did it. We tried to talk him out of it, but he said it was time he took a stand.'

McGonagall stepped back, visibly shocked. 'But surely, that's madness…'

'He said he couldn't live with himself any more, going along with Snape.' Neville looked hard at his teacher. 'He's told Snape that it was him behind Dumbledore's Army all along.'

The teacher closed her eyes for a moment, then steadied herself. 'Very well. Hagrid has chosen to leave. But listen to me, if you think that will stop Snape and the Carrows suspecting you, then you are wrong. Get those clothes cleaned off and hidden, get into bed, and get your cover stories straight!'

They hurried away to the stairs, but Neville turned back. 'Professor, what's going to happen to Hagrid now?'

She fixed him with her gimlet stare. 'If he's got any sense – which I sometimes doubt – he will have used the fireworks display as cover to run. Provided he can get out of the grounds, he's got a good chance. Hagrid knows the outdoors better than most, and he has friends among the creatures and other races. Now bed, quickly!' She turned and left through the portrait hole.

Neville looked across the Common Room to Ginny, who had also hesitated at the foot of the girls' stairs. 'One more pro-Harry person gone,' she said softly.

'There's still us, Gin.' He smiled sadly at her. Unlike McGonagall the firelight made her face look softer, younger, more vulnerable.

'Yeah.' She smiled at him sadly. 'I'm so glad I've got you, Nev.'

'Likewise.' A noise from outside made them both jump. 'See you in the morning!' he whispered, before they both fled up their respective staircases to bed.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Flight From the Burrow

Climbing onto the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade, Neville couldn't help feeling a twinge of apprehension. There was no reason to expect Ginny or anyone else would be taken. But all the same the students were vulnerable on the train, without the teachers and the thick stone walls and complex enchantments of Hogwarts to protect them. It was the perfect place to attack if you wanted to get hold of a Hogwarts student.

Ginny seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she was jumpy and irritable. They shared a compartment with Lavender, Parvati and Padma. Everyone was subdued, despite it being the start of the holidays.

Neville spent the journey reading up on Protean charms. A couple of the DA's coins had started to play up and they needed to try and fix them. Ginny's was one of those that wasn't working properly. At some time going through the Midlands, he admitted defeat and went to find Michael Corner. Michael examined the coin carefully along with Neville's, and tapped it several times with his wand. Eventually he turned back to his friend. 'I think I can fix it, but I need a bit of time to work on the spell. I don't want to just wipe it and start again, because it might affect all the others. Do you think Ginny would mind if I took it home over the holidays?'

'I suppose it would be OK,' said Neville with a shrug. 'There's not much point in her taking it home when it doesn't work.'

He spent a bit longer with the Ravenclaws, reflecting on the past term and discussing their NEWTs. It felt odd to think the next term would be their last at Hogwarts. None of them thought they would pass their 'Dark Arts' NEWT, and generally they didn't want to. On the other hand, for people like Neville who were only taking three subjects, it made future job prospects rather bleak. Still, Neville found he couldn't think much further than the next week, let alone the looming prospect of the future. War made everything close in, it made life intense and the moment all consuming.

When the train pulled into the station he felt a surge of relief at the sight of Gran's vulture hat in the crowd. There were fewer Ministry enforcers around, a sign that they'd perhaps realised that Harry wasn't suddenly going to be overcome by a desire for education. He levitated his and Ginny's trunks out of the train and onto the platform, then turned to his friend with a sense of finality. He had a sudden feeling of not wanting to leave her, to let her go.

'Well, have a good Easter then,' she said, with the usual amount of awkwardness. 'Good luck with your NEWT revision.'

'Yeah, thanks,' he said flatly, not looking forward to several weeks of practicing Charms and writing essays. 'You'll write, won't you? Especially if there's any news about our friends – remember the code we agreed?'

She laughed at his anxious face. 'Of course I remember, don't worry Nev, if anything happens I'll let you know. It's just a shame my coin is out of action. Still, Michael will have fixed it up ready for another term of making the Carrow's lives as hard as possible.' She saw his face. 'Come on Neville, cheer up. It's only the holiday. I don't know about you but I could do with a break… it's hard, all the constant fighting, never knowing what's going to happen next.'

'You're right.' He checked his pocket for Trevor and twitched his wand to lift his trunk again. Ginny turned to go, and got about two paces away, when she looked back over her shoulder. Impulsively, she ran back to him and flung her arms around him.

'You look after yourself, Neville,' she said, hugging him tightly. 'Stop worrying about everyone else for a change. We'll come back next term stronger and more determined than ever and we will beat them, you wait and see!' He saw the look in her steely blue eyes and knew that she meant it. Then she turned and was gone, weaving through the crowd towards her mother, who rushed to meet her.

As Neville moved in the opposite direction to find Gran, he couldn't help giving a backward glance. He still felt strangely reluctant to leave, but Ginny was swallowed up in the crowd and lost from view by the swirling steam. He thought of his last glance at Luna, and then tried to shake himself out of his misery. _Stop being an idiot, Longbottom _he told himself, negotiating his trunk through the melee on the platform. But he felt uneasy for the rest of the day.

Over the Easter holidays Neville worked hard on defensive magic. He revised for Herbology quite happily; with Herbology it never felt like revision, he found the subject so interesting. It was the one thing he didn't struggle to remember. Aside from that, he spent hours practicing charms and defensive spells from his Dad's books. The hard work paid off; he doubled the number of silent spells he could perform and improved his spell casting stamina considerably. Even his Gran seemed impressed by his sudden ability to pour the kettle with only a small movement of his wand.

Ginny wrote on several occasions, mostly bemoaning the dullness of being at home without any of her brothers around. She had no news of Harry and reading between the lines Neville could feel her disappointment. He knew that Ginny still half believed that Harry would reappear at any moment, possibly to call her away to fight with him.

Halfway through the holiday Neville was in his room practicing Stinging hexes, when his Gran called him downstairs. She looked unusually excited and was fiddling with the wireless. She waved Neville into one of the kitchen chairs without speaking, and a moment later the radio crackled into life.

'Good day listeners, this is River. I would like to apologise for our temporary absence from the airwaves, which was due to a number of house calls in our area by those charming Death Eaters.' The voice was warm and humorous and instantly recognisable.

Neville's face lit up. 'Potterwatch!' he said. 'I haven't heard this for ages!'

But soon his face fell as the broadcast went on to report several deaths and that his old friend Dean Thomas was likely in great danger, after his travelling companions had been killed. 'Seamus is going to be gutted,' he said aloud to his Gran. Knowing that Dean may be among those killed weighed heavily on him as he sat through the silence. Even the assertion later in the programme that Harry Potter was almost certainly alive wasn't enough to shake the feeling of gloom. But he still felt a sense of loss when the broadcast ended; even when Potterwatch was giving bad news there was something comforting about it, knowing he was not the only person fighting the regime.

'They're a bit out of date,' commented Neville after Gran had switched off the radio. 'Hagrid was nearly caught at the end of term, a couple of weeks back.'

'Either that or they're protecting their source,' suggested Gran.

'Of course! Yes, they must have heard it from Ginny. Good thinking, Gran.'

'I don't know why they bother,' sniffed his grandmother. 'Everyone in the wizarding world with any sense knows it's those Weasley boys behind the broadcast. It's a miracle that family has escaped arrest, no matter that they're pure bloods. They won't be allowed to carry on much longer, that's for sure.'

Ginny was sitting in the lounge writing a boring Charms essay. Although the house was quieter than it had ever been, she found it hard to concentrate. There was something unnerving about the silence. One of the hands on the big clock moved, catching her eye. It was her father's, he'd gone from 'work' to 'travelling'. She stared at the others for a moment. Bill's, Charlie's and Percy's were on 'work' – although all three had left home they still remained on the clock and it enabled them to keep an eye on even Percy despite the fact they hadn't spoken in more than a year.

Her mother's and her own hands were on 'home' – she could hear her Mum in the kitchen, bustling about cooking large amounts of food. Mrs Weasley hadn't managed to adjust her portion sizes for her severely reduced family and Ginny was sure she was putting on weight. Fred and George's hands pointed to 'out and about' – a suspiciously vague category that could have been invented just for them. And Ron's… the youngest of her brother's hand pointed to 'lost', just as it had ever since the ill-fated wedding.

The hand bearing Arthur's face clicked round to 'home', and a moment later she heard his key in the door. Her Mum called her, 'Ginny! It's Potterwatch on the radio, dear!' But Ginny stayed on the sofa. She couldn't bear to listen to another list of dead people and speculation. Besides, she'd seen Fred earlier that day and he'd already filled her in on the news – which wasn't much at all.

She forced her attention back to her essay, trying to make herself concentrate as she re-read the same paragraph for the third time. Snatches of Potterwatch reached her ears from the kitchen, but she tried not to listen. Then she heard her parents' voices again; the broadcast must have ended. She turned another page of the _Standard Book of Spells Grade 6 _and managed another sentence of essay. Then once again a movement from the clock made her look up.

For a second she didn't take it in, then she screamed. 'Mum! Dad! Quick!'

The clock hand bearing Ron's familiar freckled face had moved for the first time in months. It was pointing to 'Mortal Peril'.

No one in the Burrow slept that night. Mrs Weasley alternated between sobbing and making large quantities of tea. Mr Weasley paced and jumped at every noise. Ginny remained on the couch, her forgotten essay still spread out in front of her, watching the clock. The worst thing was the sense of powerlessness. They knew Ron was in danger, but they didn't know where or from whom. Ginny wasn't sure what happened to the clock hand if someone died, if the hand disappeared or just remained stuck on the last category. She didn't feel this was the time to ask.

What felt like an eternity went past, with the clock hands remaining frozen in place. Mr Weasley fired off several patronuses to Order members to try and find out if anyone knew what was happening. Later they were joined by Lupin, though he didn't have any more news than they did. 'I've tried everyone,' said Arthur. 'Even Aberforth, who's practically given up on the Order. But no one can tell us anything about where Ron is or what's happening.'

It was growing light the next morning when Bill's tiger Patronus burst into the living room in a flash of blinding silver light. Everyone was so on edge they screamed. 'Ron is safe, his cover's blown, all family into hiding immediately,' it announced in Bill's deep voice, before dissolving. For a moment they all stood staring at each other, then Arthur moved even as Molly sagged with relief. Ginny looked back at the clock; Ron's hand had moved 'visiting'.

'Looks like our luck's run out,' Arthur was saying. 'Molly, quickly, grab some things, we've got to go. Ginny, get your wand and bag, we need to leave right now.'

Spurred into action by the urgency in her father's voice, Ginny ran to the stairs. She already had her wand in her pocket; she carried it with her at all times now even though she wasn't allowed to do magic outside of school. If it came to a life or death situation she'd rather break the law. She reached her bedroom and grabbed the bag she'd pack for this eventuality. Everyone in the family knew the evacuation plan and was ready.

She was back on the stairs in moments, but stopped short teetering on the edge of the top step when she heard the front door crash open. 'Freeze! Ministry raid, nobody move!' yelled a rough voice from downstairs. A moment later was a bang and a yell, and she guessed that someone was duelling, but who was coming off better it was impossible to know. Her first instinct was to run down and fight but she heard the noise of more people arriving and knew they were outnumbered.

'Go, go!' she heard Lupin shouting, and her mother wail, 'Ginny!' There were feet on the stairs now, and Ginny jumped back out of the way. She needed a way out. There had to be something… her instinct took her towards the twins' room before her brain kicked in with the reason. She raced inside, pushing shut the door and sealing it with a spell.

A quick glance out of the window showed Ministry men below, but they were all focussed on getting into the house on the ground floor and none were looking up. It was a long way down, but Ginny knew she didn't have much option. She could hear doors being barged open on the floor below her, each accompanied by a shout of, 'Freeze! Ministry raid!'

Her heart was thumping. How would her parents and Lupin get out if they were still downstairs? The numbers of Ministry people were surely too great. 'I wish I had your Invisibility Cloak right now, Harry,' she whispered, as she carefully opened the window. She clambered onto the ledge and turned, gripping the windowsill with both hands while her legs stretched until her feet found the drainpipe. Fortunately, years of escapes when grounded had given Ginny pretty good drainpipe-climbing skills, and she began to climb down as fast as she dared.

She heard someone downstairs shout, '_Protego_!' accompanied by a flash of red light. From the noises it sounded like they'd barricaded themselves in. She was at the most risky point now, almost at the ground. Just as her feet hit the springy grass, someone yelled, 'Hey!' and before she could react a spell was whizzing towards her, missing by inches. She spun round, shouting, '_Expelliarmus_!' as she moved, but she was too late. A trip jinx hit her square on and she landed flat on the floor, somehow keeping hold of her wand.

Before she could move again, another voice shouted, '_Stupefy_!' and as she risked a look up, ready to fire off another spell, she saw Bill running towards her. 'Go, Ginny, get out,' he panted, approaching the house.

'You must be joking,' she replied, following her brother. They took refuge behind the chicken coop. It provided scanty cover but it was the only structure in a suitable place. Through the kitchen window she could see the Death Eaters closing in on her parents and Lupin. 'Ready?' asked Bill tersely, and she nodded.

Bill cast a powerful spell which shattered the glass in the kitchen window. The raiders whirled round, and three were caught by Stunning spells before they'd realised what was happening. The cornered Order members took the opportunity to knock out the rest of their attackers. Soon all were Stunned, although a couple were already stirring. Arthur, Molly and Lupin stepped over their fallen opponents and raced out of the kitchen towards Bill and Ginny.

'Come on, let's get out of here before the back-up arrives,' yelled Arthur, leading his family to the edge of the property. 'That was just the advance guard, they must have known we'd run, thank goodness they were ill prepared.' As they pulled themselves over the fence, more Death Eaters apparated nearby. Ginny half turned, wand ready, but was grabbed from behind. She began to struggle, but the grip was tight and the next moment her captor disapparated. She felt herself swirling in space, and resisted struggling in case she splinched herself.

Then she was landing in a musty hallway and as she turned on whoever had grabbed her, she realised it was Bill. 'I surrender!' he gasped, as with another loud pop Lupin appeared nearby, reeling from the force. Ten panicked seconds later, Arthur and Molly arrived. 'We just made it,' gasped Arthur. 'Had to do a couple of defensive spells before we could disapparate.' He looked around. 'Is everyone OK?'

'Arthur, Molly, to what do I owe this… unexpected pleasure?' Great Auntie Muriel was standing in a doorway, wearing lime green carpet slippers, a dressing gown, and with her hair in curlers.

Arthur straightened up and smiled at his Aunt. 'Hello, Muriel. We've come to stay for a bit.'

Muriel's kitchen had run out of chairs. It was going to be a very snug fit staying there, that was for sure. Ginny's eyes ached from lack of sleep but there was still too much adrenaline in her system to go to bed. 'Are you sure Bill didn't say why the Death Eaters knew Ron was with Harry?' she asked again.

'I've told you all I know,' replied her father. 'He was in a hurry, he said he had a couple of injured people to look after. They tipped him off that the Death Eaters may have realised Ron was with Harry, and that we should get into hiding.'

'Do you think they've caught them?' Ginny could hardly bear to ask the question.

'No, Bill said these wizards had seen Harry and the others in a fight, the same one they got injured in, but that they all got away. I don't think he really knew any more than that.'

'Bill's been very secretive since he married that Fleur,' sniffed Mrs Weasley. 'At least we know that Ron and the others got away, and thank goodness Bill warned us when he did.'

'But it means we're prisoners now, doesn't it?' said Ginny, glumly.

'I'm afraid so, especially you. You've still got the trace on you, it's far too dangerous for you to leave the house.' Fred grinned at her. 'Cheer up little sis, at least you don't have to see any more of Snape and the Carrows.'

'No, but it means I'm abandoning Neville completely! He's lost everyone close to him now – how'll he run the DA?' She slumped despondently on the tiles.

'Come on, there's more people than that in the DA, and he's still got that Irish lad – Seamus, isn't it?'

The thought of Seamus being the only support left to Neville depressed Ginny even more, and she felt a flash of jealousy. 'He's useless,' she muttered.

'There's nothing we can do, Ginny love. You know we'll be a target the minute we step outside. Let's all just be happy that Harry, Ron and Hermione are safe.'

'Of course I'm happy,' she snapped. 'But it doesn't mean much, does it? We still don't know where they are, or what they're doing, and we still can't do a thing to help them. And they're only safe until they reach the next danger.' She took a deep breath. 'Am I allowed to write to Neville, at least, to let him know I'm all right?'

Her parents hesitated, then her father nodded. 'You can owl him to say you're alive, but don't say where we are – not even that we're under a Fidelius or still in the country. Don't mention Harry or the others. Don't say…'

'All right!' Ginny interrupted him. 'I'm not stupid. I won't say anything that could possibly be used by the Death Eaters to find us, or anyone else. But since I'm leaving him at Hogwarts with only _Seamus _for support, the least I can do is let him know I'm not dead.'

'Come.' Severus Snape didn't glance up from his desk as the door to his office opened. He already knew who it was.

'Ello Snape… I mean, Professor Snape.' Faced with a Headmaster's desk, Gorgonius Goyle instinctively looked guilty and tried to make himself small – no mean feat for such a hulking man.

'You have an intercepted owl for me?' asked Snape, still not looking up at the rank-and-file Death Eater.

'Yessir. Sent to the Longbottom boy.' He held over an envelope, which Snape took without looking up and sliced with a silver letter opener decorated with skulls.

The letter inside was short and written in a handwriting he recognised from five years' of essays. _Dear Neville, This is to let you know I am safe, and not hurt, but I can't come back to school. All the time we think of each other, we will never be apart. Love, Ginny.'_

'How very touching,' said Snape. He glanced up at Goyle as though surprised he was still there. 'You can go now.'

Goyle bowed his head slightly, and left the room looking relieved. Snape turned his attention back to the letter and glanced up at the frame where Dumbledore's portrait hung. Satisfied that the canvas was unoccupied, he very slowly crumpled the letter and threw it onto the flames. As the parchment flared and burned, he allowed himself a smile.

Neville waited on Platform Nine and Three Quarters until the guard blew his whistle for the third time and yelled, 'The train is leaving in _one minute_!' with a meaningful glare at the last remaining students. His Gran had already left, she didn't hold with protracted goodbyes. He searched the platform one last time, before reluctantly jumping on the train and swinging the door shut as it started to pull out. He kept his eyes on the barrier, hoping, praying that a small flame-haired figure would burst through it, running towards the Hogwarts Express.

But all he saw were worn-down parents grimly filing out, and then the station was gone from view. He realised his hands were shaking slightly, and he stuck them in his pockets. Moving on autopilot, he stowed his trunk in a spare compartment – once upon a time there'd never been such a thing but now so many students were gone the train seemed half empty.

He walked the length of the train, peering into every compartment. He saw Draco Malfoy, who looked like he'd been in a fight – his face was covered in partly healed cuts and there was a painful looking welt across his cheek. He still managed a half-hearted sneer at Neville, and yelled out, 'What are you looking at, Longbottom? Lost your toad again? If I see it I'll stamp its brains out!'

Eventually Neville returned to his carriage and sat down. He took a very deep breath and let it out slowly. Ginny was gone. She wasn't coming back. He was alone.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Proper Discipline

Neville spoke to the Gryffindors on the first evening of the Easter term. Everyone was whispering about Ginny's disappearance and he knew he couldn't leave it unremarked. He gathered everyone in the Common Room, and announced that Ginny would not be returning to school due to family problems.

'Is she dead?' asked one first year in a hushed voice.

'Of course not!' said Neville at once, suppressing his own thoughts. 'Lots of witches and wizards haven't been able to come back to school for various reasons. It doesn't mean they're dead. The important thing is for everyone to carry on as normal, which is what Ginny wants.' He nearly said _would have wanted. _'When the time comes, she'll come back to Hogwarts with Harry.'

At dinner he kept an eye on Snape, who sat smugly at the High Table. He was sure that Snape glanced his way on more than one occasion with a nasty look of triumph on his face. He was glad of Seamus chomping away next to him, trying to keep up a conversation about Quidditch. Somehow, he had to keep going, to act normally. He saw the little faces of the younger kids looking at him, and he knew they needed for him to be calm and in control.

In Dark Arts the following day Carrow informed the class they would be learning the Imperius curse. Ernie Macmillan's podgy hand flew into the air. 'But sir, that's an Unforgivable Curse! You can't do Unforgivable Curses, they're illegal!'

Carrow glowered at him. 'Tell you what, I'll get them to make being a pompous speccy little toerag illegal shall I, and see how you like it?' Crabbe and Goyle roared with laughter, to which Carrow added his own wheezy chuckle.

'Get in pairs and take it in turns to put your partner under the curse. Whoever gets their partner doing the funniest thing wins a prize.' No one moved. Carrow made a shooing motion. 'Get on with it you little bleeders! Want me to blast you outta them chairs?' He raised his wand threateningly, and everyone got up.

'This feels so wrong,' muttered Seamus.

'Let's just pretend,' Neville muttered back. 'I'll be 'Imperius'd' first.'

Soon the room was full of students hopping on one leg, picking their noses or scratching their bottoms or hitting themselves. Unsurprisingly, Crabbe and Goyle won the prize for most ridiculous behaviour. Crabbe got Goyle to break a chair over his own head, whilst Goyle got Crabbe to lower his trousers and pee against the desk, to the shrieks and disgust of the rest of the class. Even Malfoy looked rather dismayed. Carrow however was delighted.

'Well done boys, good work,' he chuckled. 'Tomorrow's class will be held in the evening. Everyone is to report to the dungeons at seven o'clock. Don't worry about curfew.'

'What d'you think Carrow's up to?' asked Seamus as they left class.

'Dunno, but you can bet it's nothing good,' said Neville gloomily.

The following evening the seventh year Dark Arts class trailed reluctantly down to the dungeons. Apart from his visits to Slughorn, Neville hadn't been down there since his fifth year, when he left his Potions exam full of joy that he'd never again be stuck in a fume filled dank underground room in close proximity to Severus Snape.

They trooped into a different dungeon – one that was cold and empty and seemed to live up to its name. The only object in the room was a low, lumpy object covered in a piece of sack. Both of the Carrows stood at the front of the room looking excited. Amycus was virtually twitching. Alecto transferred her weight from one foot to the other like a child queuing in Honeydukes.

'Is everybody here?' asked Carrow, before they'd even all got inside. 'Then let's get going. This evening we're gonna do some proper good magic!' He rubbed his hands together with glee, something Neville had only thought happened in comics. 'Tonight, boys and girls, I'm gonna show you the Cruciatus curse!'

'No!' Neville was so shocked that he shouted out loud, against a background of loud gasps.

'Yes, Longbottom, yes!' wheezed Carrow joyfully. 'And here to help us is Fredericks!' He grasped the sacking and whisked it away, revealing a small boy, sitting curled up on the floor, shaking with fear.

It was like something from a nightmare. Neville stared in frank horror at the child on the floor. He was chained to the wall by a cuff around his ankle. He couldn't have been more than twelve. At first Neville assumed he must be a luckless Muggle, but then he realised the child was wearing Hogwarts robes.

'Stop quivering, you snivelling little brat!' jeered Carrow. He turned back to address the class. 'Fredericks thought it would be clever to set off a Dungbomb in my sister's class, didn't you, Fredericks?' he continued.

Fredericks managed to say something that sounded like, 'It wasn't me!'

Alecto took over from her brother. 'We've told you kids again and again, either knuckle down or pay the price. But you don't listen. You carry on with your 'Dumbledore's Army' and your 'support Harry Potter' and your nasty little pranks. Lack of discipline, that's the problem. You've all been used to getting away with it. Now you're going to learn the meaning of proper discipline.'

Amycus looked around at the shocked faces of his class. 'Now, where are my star pupils? Crabbe, Goyle?' The two hulking boys barged their way through the Dark Arts class, most of whom were still too shocked to move or speak. 'Now, do you know the words?'

'Yes sir,' said Crabbe, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet in anticipation. 'I've been practicing on mice. Me and Goyle stole a box out of McGonagall's classroom.' The two oafs giggled at this piece of cleverness.

'Good, good. Now then Fredericks, on your feet.' Carrow towered over the boy, who if anything curled up more tightly.

'I said on your feet!' Carrow flicked his wand viciously and the little boy jerked upright off the floor, his arms and legs bending back at painful angles. He landed on his feet with a thump. Neville saw his terrified face for the first time, puffed up from crying and covered in snot. He made a pathetic spectacle. 'Look at the little crybaby!' laughed Alecto. 'Crying for his Mummy!'

'Come forward now, Vincent, you go first. Remember, say the word nice and clearly and once the spell is cast, concentrate hard to hold it.' Carrow was giving more comprehensible instructions than he ever had in all their Dark Arts classes to date.

Neville still didn't believe Crabbe would really do it – or rather he didn't think Crabbe could possibly have the ability to do it. He knew that moral compunction wouldn't hold back the Slytherin bully, but in terms of spell casting he had always been able to rely on Crabbe and Goyle to get lower marks than even him.

Crabbe pointed his wand at little Fredericks, his heavy brows knitted in concentration, and said, '_Crucio!' _Fredericks gave an unearthly howl and contorted his whole body, collapsing double, his hands clawing the air, his every breath coming as a high pitched keening sound.

Neville reacted instinctively, throwing himself at Crabbe. He crashed into the boy's massive bulk, which felt like hitting a brick wall. Before he could regain his balance, a curse hit him, throwing him right back into the air. He landed flat on the floor with a thump that knocked all of his breath out and he lay staring stupidly at the dungeon ceiling. He could hear Carrow laughing through a tinny ringing in his ears.

After a moment, the anxious faces of his peers appeared above him. Lavender and Parvati, Seamus and Ernie, all crowded in. Blinking, he sat up and struggled to his feet to find himself facing Amycus Carrow. 'I think we've got ourselves our next volunteer to try the curse. No need to throw yourself at us, Longbottom, there's plenty of time for everyone to have a go. We've got all night.' He directed this last comment at Fredericks, who was cowering by the dungeon wall. 'Come on then Longbottom, let's see you cast the spell.'

Neville stood straight, wondering if he could break Fredericks' chain before someone stopped him. He decided against it; Fredericks was in no fit state to move, much less run, and if he did run, where was he going to go? So instead, Neville faced the Carrows. 'Never,' he said flatly. 'I will never cast that spell on any living creature.'

The Carrows cackled. 'You want to watch it boy, refusing to do something teacher asks could land _you _in detention.'

'Fine. Put me in detention. Let that little boy go and put me in his place. At least let the students pick on someone their own size.'

His effrontery obviously shocked the Carrows, who stopped laughing and exchanged glances. They clearly hadn't expected anyone to volunteer to be tortured. Amycus decided to deal with it by shouting louder. 'Don't mess me about, you little weasel! Do the curse now!'

'Never!' Neville shouted back.

Carrow, now red with fury, shouted a spell that sounded like a swearword and with a flash of light Neville felt an intense pain in his face. It felt as though the skin was tearing and burning at the same time. He was again blasted backwards off his feet and this time when his head hit the ground everything went dark.

He woke up later – how much later he didn't know. He immediately tried to sit up, but that made his head spin so violently he had to stop. He could hear anxious voices. 'I think he's waking up! Neville, Neville, can you hear me?'

The room managed to stop spinning enough to focus down on one face, hanging over his. It took him a moment to realise the face was upside down. Groggily, he tried again to sit up, prompting a flutter of worried whispers. 'Neville, perhaps you should stay lying down for just a minute…' said someone.

'The kid… Fredericks,' he gasped, looking around. That made his head spin more, so he had to stop.

'He's OK – well, maybe not OK, but they've stopped. After they knocked you out, the Carrows panicked a bit. I think they thought they might have killed you, which apparently is a bit too far even by their standards – at least since you're a pureblood. When you didn't come round immediately, they ran off.' The speaker was Seamus, who was peering at his face.

Ignoring the protests around him, Neville got onto hands and knees and crawled across the dungeon floor to the huddled figure of Fredericks. There was a nasty acrid smell and he could see the little boy's clothes were damp. He must have wet himself during the torture. His remaining classmates followed him like a frightened and indecisive train. 'Fredericks?' asked Neville softly, putting out a hand to touch the quivering boy. Fredericks jumped at his touch and cringed back further. 'It's OK, they've gone, it's just us now. No one's going to hurt you. I promise. It's all over.'

Gradually the little boy uncurled a bit, but recoiled again when he saw Neville. 'It's OK, you don't have to be scared of me,' he said again.

Seamus, kneeling next to him, said, 'I think it's your face, mate. They've messed you up pretty badly.'

For the first time, Neville touched his cheek. He encountered torn skin and unpleasantly wet flesh. He forced himself not to think about it. 'Fredericks, come on. Let's get you out of this dungeon.' He suddenly had a thought, and reached for his wand, only to find an empty pocket. Before he could panic, someone next to him tapped him on the shoulder and handed it over.

Neville concentrated on the lock of the shackle around Fredericks' little leg. '_Alohomora!' _he whispered, and to his surprise, the lock clunked and loosened. The Carrows hadn't even bothered – or perhaps hadn't been skilful enough – to lock it with anything more than a first year could break.

Awkwardly, he removed the shackle and gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. 'Come on, mate, let's get you up,' he said firmly, struggling to his feet himself. The little boy uncurled somewhat but didn't make any effort to stand. He was still shaking and terrified. Neville looked round to see who'd stuck with him. 'Someone, do that charm that makes things feather-light,' he asked.

There was a pause, then Michael Corner stepped forward and carefully cast the spell. Neville went to pick up Fredericks, but Seamus stopped him. 'You can hardly stand up, let me take him.' Neville hesitated, then relented. The room seemed to be spinning slightly. Fredericks consented to Seamus picking him up and they began a slow procession out of the room.

In the corridor they encountered Blaise Zabini, looking strained. Blaise did not take Dark Arts, but appeared to be approaching from the direction of the Slytherin common room. When he saw Neville and Seamus carrying the boy, his eyes widened. 'What's going on?' he asked, sounding less composed and haughty than usual. 'Crabbe said something about torture…'

'The Carrows have decided that first years who've earned detention are good candidates for us to practice Unforgivables on,' said Neville, angrily.

Zabini was visibly shocked. 'And you? Goyle mentioned something about you being dead…'

'And you thought you'd come and gloat, did you?' asked Seamus angrily. 'Well bad luck, you slimy snake loving piece of scum, Neville's fine.'

Colour rose in Zabini's handsome face. 'No, I thought I'd better see what was happening, since I'd seen the Carrows legging it in the opposite direction. I _am_ Head Boy-'

'You must be very proud of yourself,' sneered Seamus, but Neville put out a hand to stop his friend.

'That was decent of you,' said Neville, causing Seamus to nearly have a fit.

Zabini looked embarrassed by this. He looked at the boy in Seamus' arms and his nose twitched slightly. For a moment Neville thought he was going to say something nasty, but then he indicated back down the corridor. 'There's a prefects' bathroom at the end of the corridor on the left, just before the main stairs. Password's 'periwinkle'. No one will be there.'

'Thank you,' said Neville. Zabini nodded once, awkwardly, and then walked away.

'What was that all about?' asked Seamus in a whisper as they hurried to the bathroom with Fredericks. Neville's face was starting to sting badly.

'He has to have an ulterior motive,' whispered Michael, who didn't look on the house of the snake any more kindly than his Gryffindor friends. 'What's the betting he's given us the password to Carrow's private quarters?'

Fredericks whimpered at this and Neville shot Michael a look. He strode up to the door himself and declared 'periwinkle!' before trying the handle. For a moment he half expected that it would open into some horrible place, but in fact all he saw was a large, well-appointed bathroom.

Seamus put Fredericks down by the bath. Lavender and Parvati looked like they were about to swoop, so Neville headed them off. 'Can you both go and find Professor McGonagall? She needs to know what's been happening. No point going to Snape, it was probably his idea.' The girls looked rather disappointed, but they followed his instructions.

He turned to the others. 'You guys had better go back too. We don't want to attract too much attention. Go back to your houses and keep your heads down.'

Ernie Macmillan looked like he was going to protest, but then shut his mouth. They trooped out, looking awkwardly back over their shoulders.

Once the majority were gone he almost sagged with relief. His face was pounding with pain but he ignored it. He returned to the big bath and turned on the taps. He tried a few different ones before he found one that created big clouds of foam. He turned to Fredericks. 'Hop in, don't worry, me and Seamus won't look.'

The two boys turned their backs. After a moment he heard timorous sounds of Fredericks undressing, then a tiny splash as he got into the bath. 'You need to get to the hospital wing,' muttered Seamus.

'I'm fine,' lied Neville. He moved over to Frederick's clothes and cast a cleaning spell. He wasn't sure he'd done a perfect job but it would have to do. 'Is the bath OK, Fredericks?' asked Neville. 'What's your first name, by the way? I'm Neville, and this is Seamus.'

'Jamie,' said the boy, in a voice barely above a whisper. He looked at Neville suddenly, with wide eyes. 'You're the leader of Dumbledore's Army, aren't you?'

'We don't really have a leader,' said Neville diplomatically.

'My Dad said Dumbledore was a hero,' the boy continued, in a whisper. 'But he died before I came here. I hate it here.' He began to sniffle. 'I wish I'd never come. It's frightening and horrible, I want to go home.'

'You've been very brave,' said Neville. 'Listen, this isn't what Hogwarts is really like. When we came here, it was wonderful. You could learn magic, play Quidditch, go to feasts, make loads of new friends… and that's the way we want it to be again. That's why we're Dumbledore's Army, we want to make Hogwarts good again, like it used to be. Like it was when Dumbledore was around.'

Jamie Fredericks gazed at him, eyes like saucers. Neville continued, in the voice of one telling a bedtime story. 'One day, Harry Potter will come back, and when he does, Dumbledore's Army will fight. We'll get rid of Snape, and the Carrows, and get good people to come instead. Maybe Professor Lupin will come back, he was a good teacher. He was fair and kind-'

'-and a werewolf-' muttered Seamus.

'And when they've all gone, it will be fun to be at Hogwarts. You'll look forward to coming back at the end of the holidays. You won't want to leave when you get to year seven. Yeah, they'll be rubbish things, like difficult homework and ordinary detentions and boring old History of Magic, but it won't really matter because the good bits are so good.'

'Really?' whispered Fredericks.

'I promise,' said Neville. 'Now, do you want to dry off and put your robes back on? Which house are you in?'

After Neville and Seamus had dropped Fredericks back at Hufflepuff, and handed him over to the fussing of Ernie and Susan, they headed back to Gryffindor Tower. 'You ought to get that cut seen to,' urged Seamus, but Neville shook his head. It was past curfew, and all he wanted was to get into his own four-poster and never get out of it again.

But at the portrait hole they were greeted by Professor McGonagall, who gasped and covered her mouth at the sight of Neville. 'Longbottom! Is it true – torture used on students! Surely not, in Hogwarts, surely not,' she seemed to be pleading.

'It's true,' he said shortly.

McGonagall steadied herself on the frame of the Fat Lady's portrait. 'I can't believe it,' she said faintly. 'I must… I must go and speak to…' she seemed to be searching desperately for options, 'to Severus,' she finished finally.

'What are you going to do, appeal to his better nature?' asked Neville, blushing immediately as he realised he'd just spoken back to McGonagall.

But she didn't seem to notice. 'I worked with him for sixteen years,' she said softly. 'Sixteen years. I thought I _knew_ him. Severus has always been… difficult, but condoning torture on children! Even he…'

'He killed Dumbledore though, and no one thought he'd do that.' Neville was staring at McGonagall, the teacher whom he'd respected and feared, but all he saw was an elderly woman who was powerless against an overwhelming evil. He realised there was nothing she could do.

The Transfiguration teacher seemed to pull herself together. 'Look at your face, Longbottom,' she exclaimed, coming closer. Neville tensed up, not particularly wanting his Head of House examining his injuries.

'It's fine,' he muttered, but she was already prodding it with her wand, whispering some sort of incantation.

She stepped back after a moment. 'It's a cursed wound,' she said, with anger in her voice. 'It will take a long time to heal. I had better get some pain-killing potion for you and an anti-infection salve.' When he moved to protest she held up her hand. 'It's not up for discussion, Longbottom. After that, I am on my way to see the Headmaster, to appeal to his better nature, as you put it so nicely. Now, get into the Common Room quickly before anyone comes by and catches you breaking curfew. Go!' she shooed them through the portrait hole.

Once inside the Common Room, Neville turned to Seamus. 'Is she completely mad? Snape doesn't _have _a better nature.'

The following days were the worst Neville had spent at Hogwarts. News of the torture in detention spread around the school like wild fire, and the atmosphere of fear was horrible. It reminded Neville of the time when the Chamber of Secrets had been open, and students had suspected each other. Even Umbridge's reign of terror had been preferable. He felt such hatred towards the Carrows that he felt sick at the sight of them, and the same went for Snape.

The Dark Arts class weren't invited to any more torture sessions, but Neville had a nasty suspicion that Crabbe and Goyle were having private tuition outside of lessons. All of the other teachers became strangely reluctant to hand out punishments, and Ernie reported rather incredulously that Zabini had instructed the prefects not to give detentions but take more house points instead.

He wasn't surprised to hear that Fredericks had gone home due to 'ill health'. He found that the boy's small, terrified face kept appearing in his dreams, haunting him. His own wounds didn't heal, though the pain killing potion helped keep the pain down to a dull stinging. He didn't want to risk a DA meeting, though he managed to sneak out on a few occasions to daub graffiti on the walls. It appeared that other members were also still making midnight raids, as other slogans popped up which he wasn't responsible for.

Muggle Studies was only once a week, and the next lesson was exactly a week after Fredericks had been tortured. He wondered if he could risk bunking off, but dismissed this idea. If he started being cowardly and hiding from things it wouldn't be long before everyone did. So he entered the classroom with Seamus as usual and crammed himself into his place. Alecto's eyes seemed to linger on Neville's damaged face, but he ignored her.

'Pigs,' began Carrow, once the class was settled. 'I have marked your last essays on 'Why Muggles are more closely related to pigs than to wizards'. There were some pathetic attempts. I set the easiest topic I possibly could. Muggles and pigs share so much; they're ugly, dirty and very stupid.' She paced up and down the room. 'I know there are those who argue that Muggles are human. But since when did humans behave like this?'

She flicked her wand and a picture appeared on the screen of two Muggles wearing dull green coloured clothing, their faces smeared with mud. 'Filthy,' she commented. The next picture showed a Muggle woman, her face entirely covered in a thick even layer of pale coloured gloop. She was smiling. 'This disgusting creature loves being covered in muck,' commented Carrow. The next picture showed Muggles wearing very little clothing being sick on the pavement. It was night time and the building behind them was lit up in gaudy colours. 'This is how Muggles enjoy themselves. They go out and drink alcohol until they throw up.'

She turned back to the class. 'Pictures like these prove that Muggles are creatures perhaps even more stupid than some of our animal brethren. For example, even a goblin wouldn't consider drinking large quantities of a toxic substance for the simple purpose of making itself ill. Even a Hippogriff wouldn't tolerate having its face covered in slime. Muggles are low, base creatures without the intellect to make sensible decisions. For years these cretinous creatures have 'governed' themselves. You might as well tell a sty full of pigs to form a parliament.'

Neville could feel himself growing increasingly angry throughout Carrow's speech. The fury welled up inside him. Suddenly, he could bear it no longer. Of its own accord his hand raised itself. Carrow stopped in the middle of another lecture on the dirtiness and idiocy of Muggles. 'Yes, Longbottom?' she said eventually.

'Professor, I was just wondering, since Muggles are so stupid and so on, and obviously you know _so _much about them, how much Muggle blood do you have? I'd say it must be at least 50 percent-' He didn't manage to finish the sentence because Carrow's curse had hit him in the face and sent his chair backwards. Because the classroom was so cramped, he virtually ended up on Malfoy's lap. The latter didn't look thrilled to see him there.

Neville struggled to extract himself, and found Carrow standing over him. Her cheeks were flushed and her piggy eyes bright. 'You...' she said, apparently so angry she could go further. 'If you weren't a pureblood, so help me I'd cut you into little pieces!'

He finally managed to get free of the desk and struggle to his feet. He could feel blood trickling down his neck. He dreaded to think what he looked like; he wouldn't have any face left at this rate. 'You won't intimidate me,' he said through gritted teeth, partly from pain and partly from anger.

'Oh won't I? Get back to your Common Room, now! And you can stay there for the rest of the night! As for the rest of you, you can get lost too!' Carrow began physically pulling students out of their seats and pushing them into the corridor. Everyone was glad to be free of Muggle Studies and hurried to their Common Rooms before Carrow could change her mind. Neville for once did as he was told, and went straight to the Common Room, brushing off the concerns of the rest of the DA. He saw the way some of them were looking at him, an amazed, admiring look that he used to see on people's faces when they looked at Harry. That look terrified him.

Seamus hustled Neville away like an overprotective bouncer. Back in the Common Room the two boys did their best to sort out Neville's face. Both Lavender and Parvati insisted on 'helping' and he bore their ministrations with just the occasional wince. When he went to leave for dinner however, his way was blocked by Goyle, grinning all over his stupid face. 'Goin' somewhere, Longbottom?' he asked. 'You ain't goin' nowhere, Carrow's orders. So little fat piggy boy's gonna have to miss his dinner. Are you gonna go and cry now?'

'I'd have thought missing dinner was a bigger problem for you, Goyle,' replied Neville, standing aside to let the other Gryffindors out.

'No, me an' Vincent's taking shifts, first I guard and he eats, then I eat and he guards,' Goyle beamed as though this was a genius masterplan worthy of Dumbledore.

'Sounds like you get the rough end of that deal. You do realise that all the best things will be gone by the time you get there? The custard will have gone cold, the pie pastry will be soggy, there'll only be the scraggy burned up little potatoes. I can see why Crabbe chose to go first. Oh well, enjoy your dinner.' He jumped back through the portrait hole before Goyle could decide to attack him.

Seamus and the others returned bringing dinner in a leaking napkin and bad news. As Neville sat trying to eat steak and kidney pie without chewing, they filled him in. 'The Carrows have got another kid in detention now, a Ravenclaw first year this time. They've got him chained up in a dungeon, one of his friends saw it. We think they're going to try torturing him again.'

Neville pushed away his food, suddenly no longer hungry. 'This is my fault, I shouldn't have made Carrow angry,' he said in a low voice. 'We've got to get that kid out, as soon as we can.'

'What's the point? The Carrows will just track him down and do the same again.'

Angrily Neville scrambled to his feet. 'The point is…' he began, but then realised he didn't know what the point was. It was the principle. It was the thought he couldn't bear for another child to be tortured that night. He would worry about tomorrow night when it came.

He ran up the stairs to the dormitory, removing his communication Galleon from his pocket as he went. At times like this he wished they could send a more sophisticated message than a simple number code. As he removed the big golden coin, his hand brushed one of the others and he felt it was warm. He removed the fake Sickle used to communicate with Ravenclaw.

He held it up to his face, trying to decipher the tiny figures. Behind him, he heard Seamus enter the room, slightly out of breath. He turned to his friend. 'Looks like someone in Ravenclaw is up to something.'

Seamus nodded. 'Michael Corner and Anthony were looking pretty worked up at dinner, I managed to talk to them briefly. Maybe one of them has gone down to see if they can get that kid out.'

Pacing the floor in his anxiety Neville snapped, 'I need to be there with them.'

'Don't be daft – you'll never get out with them watching the portrait hole. Neville, you can't be everywhere. You've gotta let other people do their things.'

Neville sighed, then sat down heavily on the bed. 'You're right. It used to drive me mad when Harry refused to let anyone help.'

They waited for what seemed to be an eternity, Neville repeatedly checking his Sickle even though he was holding it and would know the minute a message arrived. When it finally did glow warm he dropped it in his haste. The message was spelt out one letter at a time. Neville read out, 'P…R…P – no, sorry, O – B…LEM. Problem.' He looked up at Seamus. 'What does that mean?'

'I'd say it meant there was a problem,' said Seamus facetiously, and then became more serious when he saw Neville's face. 'Don't panic, it might not be anything serious.'

'If it wasn't serious why would they send this message? We've got to get there.'

'Get there? Are you off your head? Have you forgotten we're trapped inside Gryffindor tower until morning?' Seamus stared at him, but Neville was already striding over the window. He grappled to get it open, introducing a cold blast of night air into the room.

Sticking his wand arm out as far as possible he shouted, '_Accio_ broomstick!' He waited hopefully for a long time, then turned to Seamus. 'Come on, help me. I'm not much good at Summoning charms, but if we both do it together it should be OK. I got the idea from Harry at the Triwizard Tournament.'

'That seems like a really long time ago,' said Seamus, moving over to stand beside Neville and putting his own arm out of the window. They had to stand uncomfortably close together, but when they cast the spell they could feel the drag and pull sensation that meant it had worked.

A few minutes later a very old and battered broomstick with ragged bristles and a chipped handle came barrelling in through the window and almost impaled them. 'Call that a broom?' asked Seamus, disgusted.

'I expect all the decent ones have anti-Theft jinxes on them,' said Neville briskly.

'Now it's here, what are we going to do with it?' asked Seamus, although he looked as though he had his suspicions about the answer.

'We're going to fly on it to Ravenclaw Tower,' replied Neville simply. 'You can be in charge, you're a much better flier than me, I'd just crash us into the battlements or something.'

'Whoa! That thing's never going to take two of us, it looks like it wouldn't get airborne with one!'

'Well it's going to have to. I can't sit here all night and not find out what's gone on. Come on, Seamus, where's your sense of adventure?'

'You're mad, Neville Longbottom,' said Seamus, eyeing the broom with trepidation. He caught hold of the handle and swung himself on. 'I don't know if two of us will even fit.'

Neville grasped the broom and managed to wedge himself in between the bristles and Seamus. It was a tight fit and once again he was up close and personal with his dorm mate. Seamus wriggled forwards uncomfortably, and then kicked off the floor. The broom rose a few feet and hung, listing slightly to the left. 'C'mon,' he murmured, caressing the handle. 'There's a good girl.' They managed a lopsided circle around the dorm, stopping at a hover beside the open window.

'This thing had better work, we're a long way off the ground,' was his final comment before he pushed off from the wall and they lurched out of the window into the cold night air. Instantly the ground below them seemed to pull like a big magnet, an aching chasm that drew them downwards. The broom dropped - not fast, but with a slow inevitability. Neville's stomach churned and he gripped the broom very hard, not that it would make much difference.

Seamus continued to mutter and cajole the broom, and it finally rose by a few feet. Tilting rather unpleasantly now, they limped around the edge of the castle, towards the crooked shape of Ravenclaw Tower. The lights in the windows glittered appealingly. 'Just as well Ravenclaw tower is a bit shorter than Gryffindor, or we'd be screwed,' Seamus shouted back, his voice whipped away by the wind even at that slow speed.

Neville didn't remind him that they'd need to get back to Gryffindor Tower by broom as well. 'Which window d'you think is the Common Room?' he shouted in Seamus' ear.

'How am I meant to know? Don't tell me sense of direction is down there with broom flying and Summoning charms on your list of talents.' The broom gave an alarming lurch and Seamus turned his attention back to steering. They were close to the tower now and Neville tried to see in the windows, but there was nothing but reflection from the diamond panes.

'Go lower,' he instructed. 'I think the Ravenclaws have said their Common Room is like ours, at the bottom of the tower.' Seamus steered the broom on a wonky course downwards. Finally they reached a big window where Neville could see inside. He could make out students dotted about, bending over books, and a chess set on a table. 'Gotcha!' he muttered. With one hand still clinging to the broom, he removed the Galleon and changed the code to spell out 'window'.

'They'd better hurry up,' muttered Seamus, pulling up again on the drooping broom. 'This thing doesn't want to stay up much longer.'

A moment later a pale face appeared at the window, squinting out. Anthony. Neville waved, and the boy's eyes widened at the sight of them. Then he pointed upwards and held up three fingers. 'Go up three windows,' Neville instructed Seamus.

'Yes, boss. Where would sir like his taxi service to take him next?' retorted Seamus sarcastically, looping round to give him some momentum. The broom climbed more slowly than a centaur up stairs, but eventually they reached the windowsill of the third window up, which was pushed open as they arrived, almost beheading Seamus.

'There you are! Watch it, careful – that's it.' Anthony was easing them into the room, Neville first. There wasn't enough space to fly in through the window, so a very ungainly climbing effort was required. Neville was pulled roughly through the window and found himself on his back surrounded by the Ravenclaw DA members. He sat up hurriedly.

'What's going on? What's the problem?' he asked, as Anthony shut the window behind Seamus, who was wiping sweat from his brow.

The Ravenclaws exchanged looks, and Anthony spoke. 'It's Michael. He went down to release that first year they've got, but the Carrows caught him. They tortured him pretty badly.'

'Where is he?' asked Neville, looking around for Michael's curly head.

'I took him to the hospital wing,' said Anthony grimly. 'Both of us went down, but we'd split up to search. He went one way, I went the other. I'd just finished searching the last of the dungeons at my end when I heard him screaming. I ran back as fast as I could, but by the time I got there they'd done their worst.'

Neville didn't dare ask the next question. Had Michael suffered the same fate as his parents? Even assuming Anthony knew the answer, he didn't think he was ready to hear it. Instead he said, 'I should have gone. If I hadn't antagonised Carrow…'

'It wouldn't have made any difference!' Padma interrupted him fiercely. 'You hadn't antagonised Carrow the last time. The Carrows love torturing and terrifying kids, nothing you say or do is going to change that. You can't keep expecting to save the world, Neville, none of us can. They're too powerful.' She looked tearful, and turned away.

Anthony nodded. 'Padma's right; do you honestly think it would have been better if you'd been tortured instead of Michael?'

Neville knew that he would have felt better if it had been him. No matter how bad the pain, it couldn't be worse than the guilt. He suddenly had a better understanding for how Harry must have felt when Cedric Diggory and Sirius Black got killed, or when Ron and Hermione were badly hurt in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

'What are we going to do?' asked Terry Boot. 'We can't let things carry on like this, there's got to be someone who can help. Somewhere?' He sounded so forlorn, Padma put her arm around him.

'There's no one,' said Seamus. 'The Ministry is in You-Know-Who's hands. The old teachers haven't got any power over the Carrows; all they do is try to avoid giving us any punishment. Snape's hardly going to stop them. Dumbledore's lot are mostly dead or hiding out. You saw what happened to Xeno Lovegood when he tried to defy them, and that was just an old nutter writing a few things they didn't like in a magazine no one believes anyway.'

'There's still Harry,' Neville cut in. 'Harry's still out there somewhere, with Ron and Hermione. They rescued all those Muggleborns from right inside the Ministry. He's defeated You-Know-Who not just once but lots of times. He loves Hogwarts – remember how he even spent every holiday here that he could? And he hates Snape just as much. Harry won't let this carry on, he'll come back, with his special power and whatever secrets Dumbledore taught him, and we'll fight out Snape and the Carrows for good.'

Everyone stared at him for a moment, and he felt himself begin to blush. Eventually Anthony said, 'You really believe that, don't you?'

'Yes. Don't you?' He stood facing the other boy, staring each other down. The mood suddenly felt confrontational.

Eventually Anthony looked away and shrugged. 'I don't know what I believe any more,' he said quietly. 'I think Harry's a good bloke...'

Voices reached them from the stairs, complaining about homework. They passed the doorway to the dorm and continued upwards, accompanied by the tramp of feet. Anthony looked tense again. 'You two've got to get out of here,' he said.

'Why?' asked Neville.

Anthony looked exasperated. 'Not everyone in Ravenclaw thinks Dumbledore's Army and what it stands for is a good thing. There're people in this house who think the Death Eaters have the right idea. It's not just Slytherins, you know. And a lot of the others don't like the DA – they think it's a Gryffindor thing, and that all the people who've been hurt out of it are Ravenclaws.'

'Have you seen Neville's face?' asked Seamus angrily.

'_I'm _not saying it!' Anthony walked across the room and reached under one of the beds, retrieving a broomstick. 'Here. I've been supposed to be mending it for ages. It's OK though – and got to be better than that thing.'

Seamus was still glaring at Anthony, but he took the broom and went to the window. Neville didn't like to leave on a bad note, and he turned to Anthony again. 'I'm really sorry about Michael.'

'I know you are,' said Anthony. He suddenly looked very tired. 'We all are. I just… I wish that things could be normal. I'm sick of fighting. I'm sick of being noble and trying to do what's right rather than what's easy. I don't want any of this hassle anymore.' He reached out and patted Neville's shoulder. 'I'm sorry, Nev. You'd better go, before anyone realises you're here.'

Seamus was already out of the window and bobbing on the broom. Neville slipped when climbing out of the window and almost fell. It took a fast manoeuvre from Seamus, and Anthony grabbing the back of his robes, to prevent him plummeting like Dumbledore. He landed on the broom with hands so sweaty they could barely grip and bruised knees. Seamus didn't wait, but soared away, heading back for Gryffindor tower.

Back in their dorm room neither spoke. Neville changed into his pyjamas and stood at the window, staring out at the stars. When Seamus got back from the bathroom and climbed into his bed, Neville looked over at his friend. 'Harry is going to come back, you know.'

'Yeah,' said Seamus, without meeting his eye.

'Do you think we should give up? Are you like Anthony, sick of the hassle?'

'Of course I'm sick of the hassle. Of course I want everything to go back to how it was. But I know it won't and I know that if we don't resist it will be just as bloody awful as it is already. We haven't got a choice, Neville. I'd rather die fighting than go along with a regime that kills Muggles and Muggleborns, that thinks it's good fun to torture children.' Seamus stopped, looking rather stunned by his own speech.

Neville shuffled his feet, suddenly embarrassed. He went over to his bed and pulled back the covers. There was an awkward silence as he blew out the candles. Finally he said gruffly. 'Well… good night then.'

'Yeah, g'night,' replied Seamus, from the other side of their empty dorm.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Defeat and Retreat

News of Michael's torture spread around the school like wildfire. Neville was sure that Snape and the Carrows were behind the speed and gruesome detail of the rumours. Michael himself remained in the hospital wing, pale and limp. Neville visited him, and spent an agonising hour sitting next to his friend's bedside. After he decided he couldn't bear it any more, he went to find Madam Pomfrey. 'Do you think he'll recover?' he asked her bluntly.

Pomfrey looked at him. 'Prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus curse can cause insanity or permanent physical damage,' she said. 'But I think you know that already.'

Neville nodded grimly. If Michael was going to suffer the same fate as his parents, would he be able to forgive himself? He should have scaled back the DA sooner, stopped them taking risks. 'Will that happen to Michael?' he asked, hardly able to bear to hear the answer.

The school nurse considered her answer carefully. 'I haven't treated many victims of the curse. However… I think there are positive signs. I would hope that he would recover fully in time.'

As Neville left the hospital wing he took his communication Galleon and entered Anthony and Ernie's initials, plus a time for later that evening and the code for the owlery.

After a miserable afternoon in Herbology, where he made so many mistakes that Professor Sprout drew him to one side and asked if he was all right, he headed back to the Common Room before dinner. Seamus walked with him but neither spoke. Neville felt sick, torn with uncertainty and guilt. He desperately missed Ginny. He had been able to talk to her in a way he couldn't talk to Seamus. After all the years he and Ginny had been on the edge of Harry's group, talking to each other when the others were being secretive, she was one of the few people in the world to whom he could voice his fears.

When they reached the dormitory, Neville sat heavily on his bed. He wanted to get in and pull the covers over his head. But he knew he had to face up to things, he couldn't give up. It was no good hankering after Ginny, if he wanted to talk, he had to talk to Seamus. He turned to the other boy, 'Things are getting tough,' he said. 'I don't know if we should carry on with the DA.'

Seamus stared back, then pulled a face and looked away. 'I don't know either,' he answered simply. 'I mean, if we made a huge difference it might be worth it, but now they're coming down so hard on us I'm not sure if the benefits outweigh the risks anymore.'

Neville nodded. He felt a pain inside himself all the same. 'I just don't know, Seamus,' he said eventually. 'I don't want to give up. If we stop everything, they'll have won.'

'They'll have won if they kill or torture us all into madness as well,' pointed out Seamus, then winced when he realised what he'd said. 'Sorry, I didn't mean-'

Neville waved the point away. 'I know you didn't. Anyway, it's true. One thing's for sure, whoever carries on has to know the risks. I'm meeting Ernie and Anthony to discuss it this evening.'

'Well, be careful, mate,' said Seamus. 'It's you that they're after most of all.'

'I'm not worried about myself,' replied Neville, truthfully.

'I know that, that's why_ I'm_ worried,' was Seamus' response.

That evening after dinner Neville made his way by a circuitous route to the Owlery. Anthony was already there, making a fuss of his owl, who looked rather baffled by all the sudden attention. Neville didn't greet him directly, but stood a short way off and offered a random owl a treat. Several minutes passed. Ernie was late, and Neville was starting to experience knotting unease in his stomach when the other boy finally arrived, red in the face and out of breath.

'Sorry, I thought someone might have been following me. I wasn't sure though, so I did a couple of circuits until I'd shaken them off. How's Michael?'

Neville looked around again to check no one was in the vicinity, then cast muffling spells around them. 'He's doing OK, Madam Pomfrey says she thinks he'll get better.'

'Does that make it all right then?' asked Anthony hotly. He was looking very angrily at Neville.

'No of course it doesn't make it all right,' Neville replied, as calmly as he could. 'That's why I called you both. We need to decide if we carry on.'

'Well, we Ravenclaws have talked about it already, and we're in agreement that it's just too dangerous. No one wants to end up a vegetable. Sorry Neville, I know about your Mum and Dad-'

'Will people stop saying sorry to me about that?' retorted Neville. 'Don't you think that seeing them like it all my life is all the more reason I'd agree with you? If you don't want to carry on, Anthony, then I understand it. I've said all along that if people wanted to stop, they can.'

The three boys stood quietly for a moment, then Anthony inclined his head. 'Well, everyone was pretty much in agreement. I'm sorry Neville, I didn't mean to have a go at you. It's not your fault, it's just – well, Michael's my friend and it's been a shock. And it's not that we don't still agree with the organisation or want to get rid of Snape and the Carrows, it's just it's too dangerous.'

Neville nodded and held out his hand. 'I understand. It's been a pleasure working with you, Anthony. Please pass on my thanks to all of the Ravenclaws.' They shook solemnly.

'What will you do?' asked Anthony. 'You won't carry on, will you?'

'I don't know,' said Neville. 'I might do – but if I do, I'll make sure it's clear I'm acting alone.'

'You'll get yourself killed!' exclaimed Anthony, half horrified and half admiring.

'Maybe,' Neville agreed. 'But not if I can help it.'

'Well, good luck,' said Anthony, before he turned and left the Owlery.

Neville turned to Ernie. 'I guess you probably feel the same?'

Ernie squirmed. 'I don't know… none of us wants to end up like Michael did, but we feel bad leaving you alone. I've already told Sophie and Natalie that they can't be involved – they're just too young, they're not of age and they don't know much magic. Me and Susan… well, we want to still be part of things, but perhaps not any of the direct action. Maybe if we just leave it for a bit it might get better, you know, let it cool off.'

'Yeah, maybe. Keep hold of your Galleon then.' Neville shook hands again. 'Thanks for everything, Ernie. Give my best to Susan as well, and tell Sophie and Natalie to keep practicing.'

Ernie puffed up his chest. 'May I just say, Neville, it has been an honour to work with you. I must admit, at first I was a little sceptical – I mean, you're not Harry Potter after all. But you are a fine leader, a very fine leader.'

Touched, Neville wasn't sure what to say, so he clapped Ernie on the back and told him to take care. After the Hufflepuff had left he waited for a couple of minutes before heading off himself. The Castle was quiet and although it was still light outside, curfew time was nearly upon them. He hurried back up the many stairs to Gryffindor tower.

When he reached the Common Room, he was greeted by Seamus. 'Thank Merlin you're OK!' he exclaimed. Neville found he had a wide eyed audience all watching anxiously. 'Crabbe and Goyle came looking for you, with a message from Snape. We thought they were going to break in to find you! We had to tell them you'd eaten something dodgy and were on the loo – Colin let off a sneaky Dungbomb.' Colin gave an ironic salute. 'Luckily they believed it and went away.'

'A message from Snape?' asked Neville. 'What does it say?'

'Dunno, it's a letter, we didn't open it.' Seamus handed it over and Neville tore open the envelope. The message inside was terse. '_Longbottom. Report to Headmaster's office promptly by order of Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts School._

'Looks like I'm wanted by the man at the top,' said Neville, trying to sound casual about it. 'Thanks for covering for me Seamus, Colin. I'd better go and find out what he wants.'

Lavender Brown flung herself at him, to Neville's great alarm. 'Neville, don't go! It might be a trap!'

Neville almost fell over in his haste to extricate himself. 'I'm sure I'll be all right,' he said, thinking he'd rather be interrogated by Snape than hugged by Lavender. 'Don't worry. But if anything does happen to me… well, just remember, stay positive. Harry will be back one day soon, and then we'll fight.' He escaped through the portrait hole before Lavender could do any more wailing.

Neville ascended the stone staircase to the Headmaster's office – he refused to think of it as Snape's. Snape had no right to it; he was nothing more than an illegal squatter there. At the top he knocked sharply twice on the door, and waited until he heard a faint, 'Enter' from within.

The office looked similar to the time he'd come there with Ginny and Luna, and he felt a pang that his friends were not beside him now. Snape was seated at his desk, and in the large portrait frame above the desk, Dumbledore was present, looking out into the room.

'Longbottom,' said Snape coldly, without looking up from the papers on his desk. 'Sit.'

Neville wasn't sure if he wanted to sit with Snape. On the other hand, the alternative was to stand at the desk as he used to when he took his potion up for testing, squirming as he awaited another put down. He took a seat and waited. Behind Snape, Albus Dumbledore's portrait viewed them over the top of his spectacles.

Finally Snape looked up. 'You were always an exceptionally dense boy, Longbottom,' began the Headmaster. 'Slow to learn, easily influenced by your more able peers. So clearly I am going to need to spell this out to you. Your attempts to destabilise the leadership of this school and foment discontent amongst the students must cease. You have seen what happened to the Corner boy. If the antics of 'Dumbledore's Army' continue, others will share his fate.'

Neville stared at Snape, not saying a word. Scowling, Snape continued. 'You are – though it pains me to say it – a pureblood. The Dark Lord has no wish to harm pureblooded wizards. The Dark Lord aims to protect and empower wizardkind. This is not your battle, Longbottom. You are fighting against your own best interests.'

'I'll decide what my best interests are, _sir_,' he replied.

'You are not capable of deciding what to have for breakfast!' snapped Snape. 'I am trying to give you a chance, Longbottom. After all the trouble you have caused, many wizards would have had you taken to Azkaban long ago! Believe me, the Carrows would have gladly done so on several occasions. You have let others – the Weasley girl, that idiot Lovegood child, not to mention Potter – manipulate you-'

'They're my friends!' interrupted Neville hotly.

'Your friends!' Snape gave a 'ha' of sarcastic laughter. 'Then answer me this, Longbottom – where are they now? Where are your so called friends? Potter – we don't know if he's even in the country. Personally I believe he fled long ago, with Weasley and Granger. So if he was such a great friend of yours, Longbottom, why has he left you here alone?'

'He'll come back,' replied Neville, trying to keep his voice level. 'Harry Potter will come back, and so will the others, they'll come back and fight-'

'Listen to yourself!' Snape looked almost deranged. 'Understand this: Your. Friends. Have. Gone!' he emphasised each word with a bang of his fist on the desk. 'They aren't coming back to fight. They have saved their own necks and got out, or died trying, and you're too dense to see it!' Snape seemed to collect himself. 'Of course,' he continued in a calmer voice, 'I can quite understand why Potter wouldn't have wanted a blundering halfwit hampering his attempt to flee.'

'Harry isn't attempting to flee,' said Neville quietly, concentrating all his anger into staying focused.

'Whatever he's doing, he clearly didn't want you involved in it. He left the chaff behind, and of that chaff, only you remain. Do you really want to go the same way as Lovegood and the Weasley girl?' Snape watched him closely. Neville tried to betray no emotion, but he knew Snape could tell. 'They died in vain. No one is going to remember them or care what they did – or failed to do.'

'I will remember them,' whispered Neville, his voice choked.

'They came to ignominious ends. The Lovegood girl was wiped out the moment her idiot father blew up his own house whilst pretending to have captured Potter. The Dark Lord does not believe in keeping on dead wood. Greyback had his fun with her, so I imagine she was glad when the end came. They fed her to the snake, piece by piece.' Neville flinched despite himself, and Snape smiled cruelly. 'And as for Miss Weasley, she was questioned rather too enthusiastically about her brother's whereabouts. Unfortunately Weasley's constitution was not as strong as her stubborn streak. The corpse was such a mess, even the snake turned its nose up.'

Neville swallowed hard, feeling his Adam's apple bob. He felt sick. He'd guessed, of course, that his friends were dead, told himself so many times. But hearing it spelt out like that was horrible. His stomach was churning and his heart felt as though it had dropped a mile, he could barely breathe, but he was not going to give Snape the satisfaction of seeing his distress. When he finally trusted himself to speak, he said, 'Whatever you say, Ginny and Luna are heroes, and they will be remembered.'

Snape stared at him with the expression he used to reserve for those Potions lessons where Neville burned the bottom of his cauldron or turned his fingers purple. 'I am warning you Longbottom, for the last time, that if you do not cease Dumbledore's Army activity, you will suffer. You are seen as the head of the organisation, you will be in the firing line. The Dark Lord wants to keep pureblooded wizards alive if he can, but there is a limit to his patience. At some point, the level of disobedience of an individual outweighs the value of their blood. You are very close to crossing that point, Longbottom.'

'If I haven't crossed it yet, I obviously haven't been working hard enough.' He stared Snape directly in his cold black eyes. Suddenly he laughed and a spasm of surprise crossed the teacher's face. 'Do you know, I used to be afraid of you? Even my boggart turned into _you_!' He shook his head at the thought. 'But now, you don't scare me anymore, _Professor, _because whatever you do to me, you cannot take away what I know is true. You cannot destroy the friendship and love I have found.'

'Very touching,' sneered Snape, apparently unmoved by this speech. 'But whatever you think you know about friendship and love, it won't do anything to save you, or any of those hapless students who follow you. Do you think those who have died before you did so for lack of friendship, or love? It will make no difference. Don't forget Longbottom, you've taken on the role of hero that Potter so conveniently sloughed off when the going got tough. You've made yourself an icon, a figure of respect.' Snape's voice dropped to a whisper. 'Children will follow you, Longbottom, _children_. And they will follow you into torture and death.'

Snape's words made his stomach clench, but Neville knew he couldn't let it show. 'It's not me that is torturing or killing them, _Professor_.' A movement above Snape caught his eye, and he looked up at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. Sudden rage pulsed through him, just for a moment eclipsing the horror and grief.

'And you!' he shouted, rising to his feet to better see the portrait. 'What are you doing to stop any of this? Can't you hear what he's saying?' He indicated Snape with a dismissive wave of his hand. 'Doesn't that bother you? Students being tortured and killed? Everything we have done, we have done in your name. And you just sit there smiling benignly whilst one by one we die! Are you crazy? In case you don't know, this is the man who killed you, for Merlin's sake! Doesn't that give you a clue about his intentions?'

Snape was also on his feet. 'That is enough!' he shouted, sounding truly enraged for the first time in their meeting. 'You are a student! You do not have the right to come here and harangue past Headmasters of this school! I've done my best to warn you, Longbottom, but I am _through _with protecting you! Perhaps it is for the best if your particular branch of idiocy is wiped out of wizarding families after all! This is your last warning, Longbottom. The next stunt that you or your friends pull, you will be punished properly.'

Still fuming with anger, Neville turned on his heel and marched out of the office, unable to face Snape any longer without doing him some harm. He ignored the portrait of Dumbledore, it was nothing more than paint and canvas. He knew he'd get no help from there. Snape was right about one thing, he was on his own.

Rather than heading back to Gryffindor, Neville descended to the ground floor and followed the corridor to the picture of fruit that guarded the entrance to the kitchens. He carefully tickled the pear, which giggled and transformed into a handle.

The kitchens as always were a hive of activity. Despite the fact it was early evening, a large number of elves were busy filling a vast pie case that was several metres square. Several rushed over to greet him.

'I… I was hoping to speak to Dobby?' he asked tentatively of the nearest elf.

To his great alarm, the elf immediately began to wail. 'Oh sir, Dobby is dead! He is dead! He died saving the life of Harry Potter, sir!' The wailing passed around the whole kitchen. 'Dobby was good and brave, and he is dead!'

Coming so soon after Snape's news, Neville felt that the last bit of strength was knocked from him, and he had to sit down. Was Harry somewhere in Hogwarts, in danger, right at that moment? 'What… what happened?' he asked the elf.

'Dobby was called away from the castle, Dobby was a free elf, he could leave when he pleased. He did not return. Later, we learned that Dobby was killed saving Mr Harry Potter and his friends from the Dark Lord's followers!' Once again, a mourning wail passed around the elves in the kitchen like a Mexican wave at a Quidditch game.

'But sir, can I be helping you?' asked the elf.

Finding his voice again, Neville responded. 'I am very… very sorry to hear about Dobby. He was a good elf. Harry Potter is my friend, and I am very grateful that Dobby was able to save his life. I came to ask a favour of Dobby. It may be something that one of you can help with. What is your name?' he asked of one who seemed to act as spokes-elf.

'Gully, sir. Harry Potter is friend to all house-elves, he wants to save our kind from You-Know-Who! If you are friend of Harry Potter, Gully is most honoured to help you! Gully is working in Hogwarts for thirty years, serving students and masters! Anything master needs, Gully can provide!'

Neville explained his request to Gully, who listened wide eyed – although that may have just been his ordinary appearance. 'You won't get in trouble, Gully,' he finished. 'And if anyone asks you who did it, tell them it was me, Neville Longbottom. And make sure they know I was alone.'

'But master Neville, the teachers is hard now, they will be hurting you!' cried the little elf, wringing his hands. 'Maybe Gully shall say it was Gully's idea, if they come asking-'

'No, Gully,' Neville interrupted firmly. 'Gully, I order you to tell the truth when they ask you.'

The elf whimpered in disapproval, but Neville distracted him with details of the plan. Ten minutes later he left the kitchens, his pockets full of biscuits which the elves had practically forced him to take. He'd pass them round the Common Room to cheer everybody up.

The mood that night was grim however; two second years had been placed in detention by the Carrows, one for sneezing in class, the other for failing to know the counter-curse to a stinging hex. When they returned that night pale and shaken, Neville stayed with Lavender and Parvati as they tried to comfort them. On his way up to bed he punched the wall so hard he bruised his knuckles.

Neville had barely sat down for breakfast when the family barn owl, Aristotle, appeared with a letter. The bird looked harried, with several feathers ruffled and it stuck out its leg immediately without the usual preamble of hunting for owl treats. Neville detached the letter and tore it open hastily, he recognised his Gran's neat copperplate writing in emerald green ink.

_Dear Neville,_

_I am writing to let you know I am safe and well, but 'on the run' from the Ministry. Last night I was paid a visit by Dawlish, a former friend of your parents', in his professional capacity. He informed me he was there to arrest me. I knocked the impertinent whelp out and made a hasty retreat with a few of my most useful possessions. _

_I need to warn you that as they have tried (and failed) to arrest me, they may do the same to you. Be on your guard. I do not believe that Hogwarts is safe. I have kept a closer watch than you know on you over the past year and I must say you are truly your parents' son. I am very proud to say that you are my grandson and I know they would be proud to see what you have become._

_Never give up your beliefs, Neville, and don't let them intimidate you. Whilst good and decent folk still live, there is hope for wizardkind._

_With much love_

_Gran_

Neville finished the letter and sat staring at it for some minutes. Another stone seemed to have descended in his stomach. Gran may be anti-Voldemort, but not to the extent she'd have said or done anything to warrant a visit from the Ministry. He thought of Snape's warning. They'd gone for her to get at him. Now, thanks to him, an old lady was homeless and fleeing for her life.

He became aware of some sort of disturbance at the High Table. All around the hall, people were giggling and whispering. In the shock of receiving his Gran's news, Neville had forgotten all about his latest piece of mischief. Now he carefully folded his letter and tucked it into his breast pocket, keeping his eyes on the High Table.

Snape was clearly angry but trying not to show it. His face twitched in odd ways and his hands trembled as he cut up his bacon. Amycus Carrow was gesticulating wildly as he ranted to his sister. McGonagall, who usually looked like she could barely suppress a smile at the antics of the DA, looked anxious, and Neville thought of his Gran again.

'Have you seen the toast!' someone near him whispered to her neighbour.

'Shhh… better just eat it and be quiet,' replied the boy next to her.

Neville turned his attention to his breakfast, determined to stay calm. He lifted two slices of toast from the rack. Burnt onto the surface were the words, 'Support Harry Potter!' On the reverse it read, 'Torture is the weapon of the weak!' He reached for the butter, which also had 'Support Harry Potter!' imprinted on the surface. He rather spoiled the effect running his knife over it, but the words reformed within seconds.

Gully had outdone himself. The eggs had 'Support Harry Potter' written all the way through, like seaside rock. The kippers had 'Torture is the weapon of the weak' etched on every delicate bone. Each cornflake and every baked bean had Harry's lightning bolt symbol on. It was pretty hard to find a breakfast item that hadn't somehow been branded with a message associated with the resistance.

Although no one dared talk about it too openly, he could feel the positive effect it was having. People couldn't believe that after everything, the resistance was still carrying on. Judging from the anger in Snape's gaze, he couldn't either. Neville was sure Snape was watching him, and feeling uncomfortable he decided to take Aristotle to the Owlery. He could feel people's eyes on him on the way out.

Ten minutes later, Neville left the Owlery, Aristotle safely installed on a perch. His first lesson was Charms but he needed his books, so headed back to Gryffindor tower. He had reached the third floor when a pretty tabby cat appeared from the direction of the main stairs, running at full speed. Alarmed, Neville stopped, and as he stared the cat transformed back into Professor McGonagall, breathing like a steam train and looking very dishevelled.

'Longbottom!' she panted. 'You must flee!' She gasped and coughed and he stepped forward solicitously to help her, but she batted him away. 'Go! Go now! The Carrows are coming for you, if they catch you, it will be the end!' Stunned and uncertain, Neville took a step back. McGonagall grabbed his arm and dragged him to the far staircase. 'Get out now, don't stop for possessions. Go north into the mountains, follow the track that leads from the deep end of the lake. Find Hagrid. Don't come back here. I mean it!'

'But-' he began, but stopped when he heard a voice echoing up the staircase.

'That's it my sweet, sniff him out, nasty troublesome boy.' _Filch._

A surge of adrenaline rushed through him, and he hugged McGonagall impulsively. 'Thank you Professor!'

'Never mind that, just go!' McGonagall urged him, though he thought she looked pleased. He ran along the corridor and had just reached the main stairs when he heard a yowl behind him. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed Mrs Norris and the tabby fighting in the corridor. Seeing McGonagall resorting to such measures he felt an icy chill at the seriousness of the situation.

A lot of students were coming up the stairs on their way to lessons. He pushed and barged his way through, causing mild alarm. He'd barely reached the second floor when he saw Alecto Carrow on her way up, her face full of horrible anticipation. He turned again and elbowed his way through a gang of second years, finding himself in a second floor corridor. He heard a shriek of excitement behind him; Carrow had seen him.

Now he ran in earnest, flat out. He had to get away from the Death Eater. A spell shot past him, but she was too far back and her aim was off. He threw himself into a side passage and jogged along it, his elbows scraping on the stone. He emerged into another corridor, and he turned left, hoping to get back to the stairs. As he ran, he cursed his abysmal sense of direction. He'd never been good at finding his way around the castle.

He found himself at another set of stairs, and heard Amycus' wheezy voice shrieking, 'Seal all the exits! Prevent the Longbottom boy leaving at all costs!' Panicking, Neville forced himself to think. He needed somewhere to hide. Somewhere safe inside the castle. The answer came in flash of inspiration. He began to sprint headlong up the stairs. His leg muscles burned despite all the physical training he'd done. He couldn't drag enough air into his straining lungs.

He climbed up five steep flights until he found himself on the seventh floor. He hesitated, looking left and right. Which was the right direction? As if to hurry his decision, a spell from below whizzed past him – the Carrows were hot on his trail, but fortunately less fast at climbing stairs. He selected left, and sprinted off in that direction. He ran to the end of the corridor, and recognised a portrait of a very ugly witch with a unicorn. He rushed along the corridor, sure he could hear running footsteps behind him now.

Rounding another corner, he saw the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. He hurtled down the corridor, forcing his racing mind to think only, '_I need a place to hide! I need a place to hide!_' After he'd passed the place, he turned and ran back, praying he could get past and back for a third time before the Carrows reached him. The third time he passed the place on the wall, to his immense relief a door appeared.

He grabbed the handle of the door, and when it opened immediately he fell headlong into the room. Just in time he slammed it shut behind him, fervently trying to remember the spell to seal a door. '_Colloportus!' _he exclaimed, his wand hand shaking so much from exhaustion that he almost missed the door.

He was in a small, roundish room, rather like his tower dormitory. In fact, it looked a lot like the dormitory, being decked out in Gryffindor colours, complete with lion banner, and what appeared to be a hammock hanging in the centre. Breathless with relief, he looked around. The Room of Requirement.

But he knew he couldn't afford to rest just yet. He spoke, his voice hoarse from exertion. 'Room, I want you not to allow the Carrows in. And not any Carrow supporters either. Nor Snape, nor any Death Eater or supporter of You-Know-Who. '

He waited, his ears ringing from the quiet, but nothing happened. No one banged on the door, no one barged in. Eventually he turned, wishing there was a way he could see into the corridor. Almost immediately a peephole appeared in the wood. Cautiously, he looked out. He could see the corridor he'd fled along, and Amycus Carrow. He almost recoiled, before he remembered Amycus wouldn't be able to see the door.

Carrow was shouting instructions to someone unseen, possibly Filch or his sister. 'Seal up all the exits, I want a watch on every way out of here. Get the Dementors up into the grounds. And get that little freak Flitwick to do one of them charms to make a noise if Longbottom sets foot in the corridors. He can hide but he can't run forever!'

Neville turned away. He sank to the floor and put his head in his hands. For the first time since Luna was taken he felt real despair. He was stuck in the Room of Requirement. Gran was gone, on the run because of him. Luna and Ginny were dead. Since the previous evening he'd been numb, he hadn't had time to really process what Snape had told him. But now in the sudden silence that awful knowledge seemed to grow and expand in his head, threatening to overwhelm him. He heard Snape's voice again and again, 'They fed her to the snake, piece by piece.'

Tears slid down his cheeks, and his shoulders began to heave as for the first time the sheer awfulness of the loss of Luna and Ginny hit him. He thought of all the fun they'd had together over the past couple of years, all the times they'd laughed, how the thought of seeing them had made him look forward to returning to school so much more than in his first years. Now all that was gone, lost forever. He would have died to save them, but he'd never even had the chance to do that. Their enemy was so powerful, so cruel, there seemed to be no chance of defeating it.

He'd spent the last eight months being relentlessly positive and cheerful, never letting himself be seen to lose hope. Now there was no one left watching him. No one to left to lead. No Seamus to hide his emotions from, no Ginny to protect, no Luna to cheer him up. He could cry now, and it would make no difference, his tears would just as ineffectual as his defiance.

Neville was alone.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – The Leader of the Resistance

Hours went past. There were no windows in the Room of Requirement but Neville felt as though it should have got dark around him. Eventually he crawled to the hammock and climbed in. He removed his Gran's letter from his pocket and re-read it. He could feel the tears that tracked down his cheeks. Then he wiped his face on his sleeve, put the letter away carefully, and slept.

When Neville awoke he needed the toilet and found that the Room had thoughtfully sprouted one, standing incongruously in the middle of the floor. 'Room, I need a toilet in its own room, with a locking door,' he said firmly. Even though he was painfully alone in the room he still felt that he'd rather have some privacy.

When he emerged he found the room had sprouted a clock – which indicated it was 5 o'clock – though whether in the morning or the evening he couldn't be sure. There was also a toothbrush and a pile of books on duelling and defensive magic. As he was examining his new possessions something else caught his eye, on his hammock a small object that reflected the light. He hurried over and picked it up, his breath sticking in his throat.

It was one of the photographs Colin had taken at Halloween of Ginny and Luna dancing. They spun and laughed, immortalised forever. He stared at the photo, then said aloud, 'Thank you, Room.' The Room had tried to provide the one thing he needed more than anything; friends.

After he'd brushed his teeth, he tried to take stock and pull himself together. Worst case scenario, he'd have to stay until the summer holidays, by when the charm might have been lifted – assuming Flitwick had cast it correctly in the first place. Still, it wasn't a risk he could afford to take just now. He removed his communication Galleon from his pocket and adjusted the numbers to spell out 'FINE' and then the code for the Room of Requirement. He didn't like to think of the DA wondering if he was dead or not.

'OK Room,' he said softly, replacing the coin in his pocket. 'I need you to make sure no sound from this Room can be heard outside. That includes me moving around. And you mustn't let in Filch or Mrs Norris.' He realised he was hungry. 'And some food.' He looked around hopefully. The Room remained the same. 'Room, I need something to eat,' he tried again. Still nothing. 'Please, Room I need some bread.' He tried shutting his eyes, but when he opened them the room remained the same.

Hours later, the room still hadn't yielded up any food or drink. He even began looking at the toilet water, but he decided he couldn't bear that just yet. He began wondering if he should risk leaving. There was a good chance Flitwick would have sabotaged the alarm spell, but Snape would be aware of that too, and might have checked it or even performed it himself. And even if Neville did get into the corridor without triggering an alarm, he'd still have an entire hostile Castle and the grounds to get through, and Neville didn't have that much confidence in his own abilities of evasion. So his choice was either to be defeated by the Carrows, and probably paraded in front of his school friends to leave them in no doubt of what happened to those who defied the regime; or to stay put and starve.

He'd tried every possible way of asking for food that he could think of. He'd even attempted Transfiguring the toothbrush into something edible, but without success. He was so hungry now that he felt quite ill. 'Please,' he said again out loud to the Room. 'I need something to eat or I'm going to die!' He closed his eyes again and waited for as long as he could bear, then finally opened them.

He jumped so violently he almost fell over. A portrait had appeared on the wall, a portrait of a small, blonde girl who was gazing at him rather vacantly. 'Hello?' he said eventually. The girl just stared back, and then smiled a secretive smile, turned and began to walk away from him. It was as though she was walking straight into the wall itself. She began to get smaller as she receded in the distance, and suddenly he realised she was actually walking along a passageway. 'Wait!' he called out, but the figure vanished from view.

The empty corridor in the picture remained. He went over to it hesitantly and felt the portrait frame. It swung aside, revealing a wide square hole, which seemed to open out into a tunnel. Neville stared in wonder. A secret passage? There surely couldn't be one left that no one knew about. Was it a trap? Where did it lead? If he went through, would the portrait seal up behind him, preventing him from re-entering Hogwarts? One thing he knew for sure, no one was going to answer those questions.

He paced the floor, between the new portal and the old door, caught in indecision. He didn't feel that he should leave Hogwarts, even if staying meant that he starved. He found himself looking at the picture of Luna and Ginny. If they were here, they would have stayed, he could just imagine Ginny with her jaw set in determination and Luna quietly smiling as she settled down to sit it out. But on the other hand, Ginny and Luna were dead.

Finally his hunger made up his mind. He knew he couldn't last much longer without water at least. He took Trevor out of his pocket and looked at him. 'I don't know what to do, Trevor,' he said eventually. He'd often talked to his toad, but now he felt self-conscious about it. 'I don't want to leave the school, I'll feel like I'm letting everyone down… but if I starve to death I'm not going to do them much good either. Not that I think I can make much difference. But I'm scared that me being dead will be another thing they use to scare the kids here, stop them fighting back. And if the kids stop fighting… what hope is there for anyone?'

He resumed his pacing, holding a wriggling Trevor up before his face. 'But maybe I'm being too self-important about all this. Would people care all that much about me? Harry's the important one, Harry's the one that everyone looks to.' He sighed and sat down on the hammock, almost losing his balance. 'I just don't want for it to all have been in vain. I'm the only person left now, of the three of us. Ginny and Luna are dead; who will ever know how brave they were? The _Prophet _won't tell their story, that's for sure.'

Suddenly he noticed a low table had appeared, complete with ink pot, quill and parchment. Frowning, he made his way over. The Room seemed to have known what he wanted before he did. Now he put Trevor down on the table, picked up the quill, dipped it, and began to write.

_I am 17 years old and in my 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The year is 1998. Severus Snape is Headmaster of the School. Last year Albus Dumbledore died and the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named began to gain power. The Ministry is now in his grip. The Death Eaters run the school now. I am in hiding. I do not know if I will live for much longer. My friends are gone. If I do not survive, maybe someone one day will find this and understand what my friends tried to do, understand that we fought and tried and never gave up hope. _

_This picture shows two of my best friends in the world. Luna Lovegood was a caring and gentle person who never feared ridicule and saw the best in everyone she met. She was taken by Death Eaters from the Hogwarts Express on the way home from school at Christmas and killed shortly afterwards. Ginny Weasley was strong, brave and passionate and when her best friend was taken she found a way to carry on. She was tortured and killed for refusing to reveal her brother's whereabouts. They are heroes. But in this picture they are just two schoolgirls having fun. They didn't have enough chances in their lives to have fun. I want to tell their stories whilst I am still alive to do so._

He continued to write almost constantly for at least an hour, his quill rushing across the page. Neville had never been much good at writing, he preferred practical things. Usually writing an essay was a slow and painful process but now the words flowed out of him so fast his hand could barely keep up with his thoughts.

He described how he, Ginny and Luna had carried on Dumbledore's Army, although was careful not to put anything that might identify the other members. He wrote about the terrible things Snape and the Carrows had done at the school. He told of how Luna was kidnapped from the train and how Snape had informed him of the deaths of his friends, how the Carrows had used the Cruciatus Curse on students and how his own Grandmother had been driven from her home. And he wrote about Harry, how he believed in his friend, how Harry was special, how he knew that Harry would never rest until Hogwarts was the way it used to be.

_If you have found this some time in the future, I hope that you live in a better world. I hope that Harry has returned and Hogwarts is free. Please make sure everyone knows the truth about Ginny and Luna. If you do not live in a free world, I hope our story shows you that the triumph of evil is not inevitable. You can fight, even if you can only make a small difference, even if you can only make things a little better for some people. It is always worthwhile. _

_Neville Longbottom, Interim Leader of Dumbledore's Army_

He laid down the quill and placed the pages, together with the photograph on the desk. 'Keep it safe for me, Room,' he whispered. He felt better now, calm and empty and at peace. He knew that he was now ready to face his fate, whatever that might be. He picked up Trevor and held his pet against his cheek. 'You've been a good friend to me, Trevor,' he said softly. 'I hope you've had a good life being my toad. I know you tried to escape a lot, but I don't think it was because you were unhappy. I need you stay behind now, and hopefully keep the Room open for me, so if I come back… I can still get in.'

He put Trevor down on the floor and walked over to the passageway, drawing out his wand. He looked back at the toad, who was crawling lugubriously across the floor in the direction of the toilet. Then he squared his shoulders, gripped his wand tightly and stepped into the unknown.

The passage turned out to be very long, with a well worn floor that suggested it had once been used a great deal, and lamps at regular intervals. It sloped quite steeply downwards and he supposed he was leaving the castle. His sense of direction wasn't good enough to work out where he might be passing under or where he might come out. For all he knew he'd emerge right into Carrow's study and instant capture.

To start with he was constantly on guard, but as the tunnel went on he became less alert. It was impossible to stay at that level of tension for a long time. Still, his ears strained for any sound and his eyes were ready to pick up the smallest movement. But nothing moved or made a sound in the tunnel. Eventually he rounded another gentle bend and found himself faced with another flight of stone steps leading up to what looked like a door. Around the edge was a thin line of light. Wherever the door opened, someone was at home.

He climbed the stairs carefully and pressed his ear to the door. He could hear nothing. He racked his brain for a spell that could help him. Then he heard footsteps and before he could do anything the door was swinging open, light spilling in so brightly that he was blinded. He raised his wand and yelled '_Protego!' _and almost toppled backwards off the top step.

Whoever had opened the door grabbed his wand arm and prevented him from falling. He was being pulled through the doorway. 'All right, all right, I mean you no harm,' said a gruff voice. He was trying to take in everything at once. The figure was an old man, grey hair and beard, didn't appear to be dressed as a Death Eater. Not that that meant anything.

He was in a small room, with no other people present. There was little in the way of decoration to suggest where he was. The room had a musty smell, and there were a table and chairs in the centre. The carpet had bald patches and the curtains hung unevenly, blocking the window. Dancing firelight filled the room from a fireplace right beneath where he'd emerged. 'Well done, dear,' the elderly man was saying. He obviously caught Neville's surprised expression, because he added, 'Not _you.'_

Realising that attack wasn't imminent, Neville stood in the middle of the room, still gripping his wand, staring at the old man. Now he could see him better, he had a strong sense of being reminded of somebody. The man's eyes were piercing blue, though partly hidden behind glasses, and he had a straggly, unkempt look. The man gave Neville an equally frank appraisal, and Neville wondered momentarily what he must look like.

'Well,' said the man gruffly, 'no need to ask who you are. You must be the leader of the resistance, Longbottom.'

Neville spluttered at that description, but the other paid no attention. 'Had to go into hiding, have you? Well, you lasted longer than anyone expected. I understand your Granny's on the lam.'

'Have you had news of her?' he asked, forgetting his apprehension about this stranger.

'No, but I wouldn't worry about Augusta. She'd eat a Dementor for breakfast, that woman. Have a seat boy, you're making me nervous, standing up.' He waved towards one of the chairs and Neville sat down hesitantly, still gripping his wand.

'Where am I?' he asked eventually.

'Don't you know? Hog's Head; your old 'Dumbledore's Army' headquarters. Don't look so surprised, I like to keep an eye on my clients.' Neville realised now where he'd seen the man before, he was the bar man of the Hog's Head. 'My name's Aberforth,' he added, 'but most folks call me Ab.'

'Pleased to meet you, Ab' said Neville, still not sure if he was. 'I'm Neville – but you know that already.'

'Hard not to know of you, Mr Longbottom. Quite the young hero. I hear your name almost as much as Harry Potter's. For those poor kids there,' he indicated the passage and presumably Hogwarts, 'you're probably better. Real.'

'Do you know anything about Harry?' asked Neville hopefully.

Ab shook his head. 'I know he's still getting himself into trouble, so far he seems to be getting back out of it again. If you're to believe the radio he's everywhere from John O'Groats to Landsend. If he's got any sense he'll scarper. But I don't get the impression sense is among his strong points.' He held up a hand to quell Neville's protest. 'I'm sure he's being very good and brave and noble, but if I were him I'd be halfway to Timbuktoo by now.'

Neville wasn't quite sure what to say, so he didn't respond. Ab gazed at him thoughtfully. 'So, what are we going to do with you, Mr Longbottom? It's too risky for you to stay here, village is full of Death Eaters and Ministry idiots, hard to tell which are worst – or which are which, these days. I can probably get a message to Hagrid, if we can just get you out of the village he can take you up into the mountains.'

'I don't want to leave Hogwarts,' said Neville at once. 'If possible, I want to go back. I've just come from the Room of Requirement – that's where I'm hiding out. I wanted food, and the Room opened up this passage.'

'You want to go back?' Ab stared at him as though he was mad. 'What for? You're busted, lad. They're not going to let you back in to do your tests now.'

'I'm not interested in tests, I'm interested in my friends, in all the kids in that school who are being terrorised by Snape and the Carrows. I'm not leaving all the time they're still in charge. I don't care if there's nothing I can do. Sooner or later, Harry will come back, and when he does, we'll fight. I'm not going to miss that for the world.' He stared resolutely at Ab, who laughed a mirthless laugh.

'Then you're a fool,' he said roughly. 'But I suppose the least I can do is feed you.' He stood up to leave the room.

'Wait!' called out Neville, as the barman reached the door. He felt a bit embarrassed, but said it anyway. 'How do I know I can trust you?'

'You don't,' replied Ab. 'I could tell you that I used to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix – you know what that is? That I knew your Mum and Dad back during the first war – lovely people, never deserved what happened to them. Your Mum used to like those chocolate frogs when she was expecting you, used to joke that you'd always have an affinity for frogs when you grew up... What?'

'My Mum… It's just… I've got a pet toad, Trevor… my Gran never told me that,' he finished.

'Well, I don't know about whether she was right or not. Your Dad, he used to like the Holyhead Harpies, your mother used to tease him something rotten about it. I remember when you were born, I said, _Neville_, what d'you want to call him _Neville_ for? Still, better than their original choice. Used to want to call you Albus, after my brother.'

It took Neville a moment to realise what the man was saying. 'Albus – you mean – you're Dumbledore's brother?' Now it was pointed out he could see the resemblance.

'Yep. Not that we ever saw eye to eye exactly. For example, my brother was quite happy to have a bunch of schoolkids putting themselves in all sorts of danger in his name. Oh he talked a good talk did Albus…' Ab broke off and looked at Neville. 'But you're hungry, and here's me rabbiting on like an old codger.' Without further ado, he left the room.

Whilst he was gone Neville paced about, still not a hundred percent sure if he should be trusting Ab or not. Just because someone could make up a few anecdotes about his parents didn't mean they were on the side of good. He risked a peep out of the window; it was light but Hogsmeade was quiet. As he watched, a Death Eater appeared around the side of the pub, walking in the slow measured rhythm of someone on a beat. He quickly stepped back out of the way.

Ab returned five minutes later with a jug of mead and a steaming bowl of soup. Thoughts of poison flitted through Neville's head, but he was too hungry to care. He gulped it down, followed by bread and cheese. Ab had also brought a large satchel-like bag. 'There's more in there,' he explained gruffly. 'Can't risk coming back too often.'

'Thank you,' Neville wasn't sure what else to say.

Aberforth ignored his thanks. 'Best time to come is about now, late afternoon, after the lunchtime lot have gone, before the evening kicks off proper. You should be safe in this room, no one ever comes up here. I'll send Ariana,' he indicated the girl in the picture, 'to get you when it's safe. I can keep you in supplies of food and if I get to hear anything about what's going on outside, I can let you know.'

A sound of voices reached them from the bar below. 'You'd better get out of here, that'll be the first of the regulars.' Ab pulled open the portrait hole and handed the satchel over to Neville. 'Just don't do anything too stupid. Getting yourself killed isn't going to endear your fellow students to the cause,' he added as his parting shot. With that he swung the portrait shut.

The leader of the resistance turned and headed back towards Hogwarts.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Letters from the Grave

Aberforth Dumbledore was as good as his word and sent the portrait girl to collect Neville at around the same time two days later. Neville had spent the intervening time productively, practicing spells. Meeting Aberforth gave him new hope. It proved that options were out there which he'd never even considered.

The room in the Hog's Head was just as bare and uninteresting as before, and Aberforth just as gruff. 'Here he is, the hero,' he muttered, but there was a meal and butterbeer on the table ready and a satchel of food beside the chair. 'Not changed your mind about staying, then?' asked Dumbledore's brother, as Neville wolfed down the food. Neville merely shook his head.

'Is there any news of Harry?' he asked between mouthfuls.

'Nothing apart from the usual hogwash. Some witch in the Midlands claimed his face had appeared imprinted on her tea towel. Says a lot about the state of things that a whole squad of Death Eaters Apparated onto her doorstep within minutes to investigate!' Aberforth grunted contemptuously, then reached into his pocket. 'But talking of news, I do have these.'

He held out two envelopes, one cream coloured, the other pink with a floral print. But Neville wasn't interested in the stationery; he had eyes only for the handwriting. Green ink, heavy and spikey, with a forwards slant. And on the other, large flowing letters with strangely formed 'g's.

His food was forgotten, a forkful frozen in mid-air to his mouth. He felt as though a lump was blocking his throat. Finally he managed to speak. 'Where… where did you get those?'

'I have my contacts,' replied Ab cagily, looking hard at Neville. 'What's the matter?'

'The girls… the girls who wrote these are dead,' he explained, wishing it didn't hurt so much to say the words.

'No they're not.' Ab sounded rather indignant. 'They're in safe houses. They're both alive.'

There was a clatter as Neville's fork fell back to his plate. He couldn't take it in. The news of them being alive seemed even more enormously hard to handle than the news they were dead. He rose to his feet and walked to the window and back before he could look at Ab again. 'You're sure?' he asked, his voice hoarse.

'Yes, completely. The Weasleys all went under Fidelius soon as the Death Eaters twigged the youngest lad was with Potter. The Lovegood girl is staying with the older boy and his wife, apparently Potter and his friends rescued her.' He looked at Neville more kindly. 'Did you really believe they were dead?'

'Snape… he told me so. He said – well, it doesn't matter now what he said, it wasn't true.' He said the last part in a tone of wonder.

Ab tutted. 'You should know better than to trust anything one of _them _says. Well, aren't you going to read 'em then?'

Neville nodded and took the letters. Both had his name on, with no address. He tore open Ginny's first, which was the topmost.

_Dear Neville,_

_Dad just told me that you're in hiding and Aberforth Dumbledore is giving you food! I hope you're all right, please be careful. I'm OK, really bored but I guess that's the down side of being safe, sorry that's probably really insensitive._

_I don't know if you know, but Luna's alive! She's safe and well and staying with Bill. I haven't got to see her yet but from what Bill says she's the same Luna and Fleur keeps trying to give her a makeover, which I'd love to see. Dean is there too. I can't say much more in case the letter gets intercepted, but remember if our mutual friends turn up at Hogwarts, make sure you get a message to us. The twins still have their coins, so you can let us know that way._

_Keep on fighting_

_Love _

_Ginny_

He read it twice, drinking in the writing he thought he'd never see again, taking in the news that she was really alive after all. Then he folded it up and moved on to the next letter.

_Dear Neville,_

_Thank you for trying to rescue me that night on the train. I got put in a dungeon in the Malfoys' house – it was very miserable being locked up. Luckily I was with Mr Ollivander who is such a lovely gentleman and so I got to make a friend I never would have otherwise. Then a few weeks ago Harry arrived with Ron and Hermione, and rescued us. _

_It's nice to be free although poor Daddy is in Azkaban. I am living with Fleur Weasley, she keeps trying to do things with my hair. It looks quite silly in my opinion but I think it makes her happy._

_I know you've been really brave and kept on fighting at Hogwarts. You were always the bravest one of all of us and I know Dumbledore's Army can never end all the time you're there. I think the end to all the bad things is coming soon, and when Harry goes back to Hogwarts to fight please let me know. I still have my Galleon, Bill rescued some of my things for me from home, it got blown up when the Death Eaters took Daddy but my trunk was OK._

_Please tell Seamus that Dean Thomas is here and he's fine, he really wants Seamus to know that. He was living rough with some goblins and has fascinating insights into their culture, he and Bill talk about it a lot. I have told them about the goblins' part in the Rotfang conspiracy, they were both fascinated to hear about it as they hadn't realised the goblins were anything to do with it!_

_Love from_

_Luna_

He felt a heat and pressure in his sinuses as he read. He wanted to reach into the letter and grab the real Luna, hug her, hear her voice. He kept his head turned away from Aberforth to hide the tears streaming down his cheeks. He wanted to smile and laugh with joy and relief but he was so overwhelmed with emotion it was all he could do not to sag to the floor. Eventually he walked back over to the chair and sat heavily, still staring at the letters as though they might disappear if he looked away. Once he had his voice and emotions back under control, he looked up at Ab again. 'Can you get a message back to them?' he asked.

Aberforth shrugged. 'I suppose so, just the one though. It's a risky business doing anything these days. Took me a lot of persuading to convince Arthur and Bill it was safe for the girls to write.'

'Have you got a quill and ink?' Neville looked around the bare room as if expecting it to sprout a writing desk – he was getting too used to living in the Room of Requirement.

'Sorry, not that keen on writing. Albus did enough of that for all of us,' grunted Aberforth, looking at his watch. 'You'd better go, boy. Can't risk you getting found here.'

Neville stumbled back down the passage in a state of wonder, his spirits lifting higher and higher as the news sank in. To think that on his way along this same passage in the other direction, he'd still thought Ginny and Luna were dead!

But as he reached the end of the passage though, his heart clenched in alarm. The portrait hole was shut. Trying to steady himself he grasped his wand. Surely after all the good things that had happened, he couldn't now be shut out of Hogwarts? Another thought flashed into his mind – what about Trevor? Had someone got into the room and hurt his toad?

He decided to try to get in and go for maximum shock. Holding his wand tightly, he pushed the doorway hard and as it gave way, he burst into the room yelling, '_Expelliarmus!' _He was promptly hit in the face by a flying wand, tripped over the edge of the portrait hole, and crashed to the floor, almost squashing Trevor.

He scrambled around to the sound of laughter. 'Very smooth!' said a familiar Irish voice.

'Seamus!' He looked up to see his friend and his smile vanished. 'You look awful!'

'Thanks, Neville, always nice to see you too,' said Seamus with a grin, holding out a hand to help him up. 'It looks worse than it is, caught me next to my eye. It was so worth it though; I turned all the candles in Carrow's room into pigeons. We spent the whole lesson trying to round them up by wandlight, he was furious. Shame I never got the chance to tell McGonagall about it, it's probably the best bit of Transfiguration I've ever done.'

He remembered his news and it came out in a rush. 'Seamus, Dean's alive! And Luna and Ginny too! They're all safe and fine!'

Seamus' swollen face was frozen for a moment and he realised how he must have looked when Aberforth told him about Luna and Ginny. Then the other boy punched the air and threw an arm around Neville. 'That's amazing!' he choked, hardly able to speak.

Neville gave the little information he had about the dramatic events outside of school, and explained about Aberforth. 'Just to think Dumbledore's brother was there all the time when we were meeting in the Hog's Head, lurking away behind the bar!'

They had a meal of bread and cheese whilst Seamus filled him in on what had been going on in school. 'The Carrows made a big mistake going for you, Neville. Now you're an icon, a bit like Harry, a symbol for people to believe in. Snape has banned your name from being mentioned, which was the best possible way to get everyone talking about you. They've even started leaving stuff outside the portrait hole, candles and sweets and stuff. Filch clears it away every day but somehow within a few hours it's all been replaced again.

There's all sorts of rumours; some people say you were poisoned by Snape that evening and pulled that stunt with the breakfast stuff as a last act of defiance as you were dying, but lots of others believe you've joined Hagrid in the mountains and are rounding up an army of giants to come and fight the Carrows! I've heard it so many times that I almost was starting to believe it, even though I knew you were up here. Lots of students support Dumbledore's Army now, people are getting more defiant in lessons, even people who weren't part of it originally. The Carrows can't understand it.'

'How's Michael?' asked Neville.

'Oh, I forgot to say – he's OK. They let him out of the hospital wing today and the last I saw he was 'accidentally' failing to prevent a pigeon shitting on Carrow's desk. He still looks a bit wobbly but I think the sight of Carrow covered in pigeon shit and feathers was better medicine than anything Madam Pomfrey gave him.'

Over the next six days, the Room of Requirement expanded as more and more of the DA were hounded out of Hogwarts. The arrival of Lavender and the Patils resulted in the basic toilet-and-washbasin cubicle morphing into a bathroom of alarming proportions, full of 'more potions than an alchemists' in the words of a disgruntled Seamus. Neville worked out a programme of activities for the students during the day, practising defence and duelling, but as the days went on he could feel them getting more restless. He was starting to worry about what to do next.

Seamus had had the brainwave of wishing for a wireless, which meant they could listen to Potterwatch. One evening almost two weeks after he first fled to the Room, the programme crackled into life, and a cheer passed around the DA members. 'Evening all,' came the voice of one of the Weasley twins. 'This is Potterwatch, your regular dose of the news the _Prophet _doesn't like to tell you. This special additional broadcast is to bring you exciting breaking news. Here with me tonight is River…'

'Thanks Rapier. And what a show we have for you tonight. Just in case the broadcast gets rudely interrupted, let us give you the headline news straight away. There has been a successful break-in at Gringotts Bank, which we believe was led by none other than Harry Potter himself.'

A ripple of amazement went round the room. Lavender squealed and grabbed Parvati in excitement. The voice from the radio continued, 'It is believed that Potter, accompanied by unnamed associates, took something from the bank vault of the Lestrange family, known Death Eaters. Potter and his friends then escaped from the bank on a dragon – yes, you heard that right – which had been guarding the vaults, and was last seen flying over London. As you know folks, Gringotts was thought to be impenetrable, and has only ever had its security breached once in the past. Potter has proved again that he is a force to be reckoned with. And with his dramatic escape, we're all left wondering if there's anything the Boy-Who-Lived can't do if he puts his mind to it.'

The DA were celebrating silently whilst listening. Neville wished Ginny or Luna were there so he could have hugged them. For a moment he felt like hugging Seamus, but quickly decided against it. From the wireless, the voice of Rapier continued. 'Now, it's not clear what Potter took, but considering he's not exactly hard up himself, we can safely assume he's acting from a higher motive than greed. Many believe that Potter's latest daring escapade is part of a plan to bring down the Chief Death Eater and this hated regime. Our regular correspondent, Romulus, who has always maintained that Potter is alive and well, has joined us tonight. So, Romulus, looks like you've been proven right?'

The voice of Remus Lupin crackled into the Room. 'I am delighted to say it appears I have. Listeners across the land, and of course in the camps of France and Belgium, must take heart from this news. Potter is only just beginning to prove what a remarkable man he truly is.'

'Indeed. So, he's successfully infiltrated the Ministry, and now Gringotts. Where do you think he's heading next?'

Unable to contain themselves, several of the DA shouted, 'Hogwarts!'

Romulus' answer was more measured. 'I wouldn't like to speculate, Rapier, but if I were the Chief Death Eater, I'd be screening my house guests!'

'So there we have it, good advice from our special correspondent. Now, in other news, we have been hearing a lot about dramatic goings-on at Hogwarts. Here with more information is our newest correspondent, Firefly.'

'Thanks, Rapier,' came a new voice, female and familiar and even before Michael's delighted shout of, 'It's Ginny!' Neville felt a surge of joy at hearing the voice he'd not long ago thought he'd never hear again.

'News from Hogwarts has been somewhat hard to come by, with some parents commenting on post failing to arrive, arriving damaged, and even cases of letters being visibly censored. But in recent weeks, we have seen increased leaks of information and many parents are becoming angry with Severus Snape, the hugely unpopular Headmaster.'

Still taken aback by hearing his friend, Neville felt a cool wetness on his cheeks, and had to hastily pretend to tie his shoelace in order to wipe his eyes before Seamus noticed.

'Hogwarts students are restless and angry following the disappearance of Neville Longbottom, charismatic leader of the Hogwarts resistance group known as Dumbledore's Army.'

Seamus punched Neville in the arm playfully, chuckling, 'Told you she wanted her head read – you, charismatic!'

'After a cowardly attack on his Grandmother, who is now believed to be in hiding, Longbottom was seen fleeing through Hogwarts pursued by Death Eater teachers, Alecto and Amycus Carrow. Longbottom is thought to have evaded capture and knowing Neville, he'll be planning his next move against the cruel regime at the school. Since Longbottom's forced departure, students at the school have become increasingly disenchanted with the regime, and it is believed growing numbers of older students are choosing to leave the school rather than continue studying there. Parents, concerned for their children's education and safety, are demanding answers. With no option to send children elsewhere, parents are asking how Hogwarts can guarantee their children are being well looked after and taught properly. Having witnessed some of the events within the school in the past year, I would say those parents have every reason to be concerned.'

'Thanks Firefly, and if any of the plucky students of Dumbledore's Army are listening, your friends at Potterwatch salute you.' There were muffled sounds in the background, then Rapier spoke again, sounding more agitated. 'It seems the broadcast is attracting unwelcome attention, and we aren't talking rival stations. So we'd better wrap up this edition. Remember listeners, you heard it here first; Harry Potter is alive and well and has raided Gringotts! Tune in soon for more, password is 'Dumbledore'. Keep each other safe; keep faith. Good night!'

As soon as the rush of static replaced the broadcast, the DA exploded. Cooped up for days with little to cheer them up, the news acted like a drug. Lavender and Parvati literally danced with joy, spinning each other round. Even the boys got to their feet and did a lot of back slapping and high-fiving. It was a wonderful release to be celebrating something for once. Neville was thrilled to have heard Ginny, and the specific message to the DA gave him a glow of happiness, to know that there were people out there that supported them, after so much isolation. He felt quite emotional again and gladly submitted to Seamus' teasing about his 'charisma' to distract himself.

Half an hour later, as the euphoria was wearing off and the group starting to calm down, the door was flung open and Terry Boot stumbled in. Padma rushed to his aid immediately, pushing the door closed. 'M'OK,' he was mumbling, through cut lips. 'Did you hear, did you hear Potterwatch?' he continued, as Parvati brought over the first aid kit.

'Yeah, we heard, Harry broke into Gringotts and escaped on a dragon!' No matter how many times he repeated it, Neville couldn't quite believe it.

'Managed to smuggle a radio from home after Easter and tuned in,' Terry was saying, in between being dabbed with Murtlap. 'Couldn't believe it. So I went straight down to dinner and managed to spread the word before they could stop me. Carrow was so furious he forgot how to use magic and went for good old fashioned fisticuffs – no, it's fine, honest. Fortunately I hadn't forgotten how to cast a spell so I hexed him properly and ran off up here – I went a circuitous route though so I think they think I've got out through the grounds.'

As Terry exclaimed over the Room and claimed the newest hammock for his own, Neville sat down for a minute to try to take in everything that had happened. The DA returned to their evening activities, playing games of gobstones or half-heartedly hexing cushions. About half an hour later, movement caught Neville's eye. The portrait girl had appeared, and was beckoning to him. It was hard to be sure, but he thought she looked excited. 'That's weird,' he said aloud. 'Ab never sends for me this late.'

Seamus, who was sprawled in the next hammock along, also sat up. 'D'you think you should go? Might be a trap.'

Neville stared at the portrait, considering his options. He thought of Harry, breaking into Gringotts and escaping on a dragon. Going down a corridor seemed a bit tame in comparison. 'I'd better go, he might be in trouble,' he said out loud, jumping down from his hammock. 'I've got my wand, and I'll be careful.'

'Are you sure?' Seamus' question followed him, but Neville was already opening the portrait.

'I'll be back soon,' he assured his friend, as he scrambled into the now familiar passage. All the same, he kept his wand out and moved more cautiously than normal. .

The end of the corridor loomed, with the rectangle of light indicating the portrait in the upstairs room of the Hog's Head. There was no way of knowing what he might find when he got there, but there was no point hesitating as he knew he would be visible on the canvas of the picture. Anyone waiting for him would know he was there. So he went straight ahead and pushed the door open.

The familiar room appeared before him, but he didn't see any of it. He was fixated on the three people who seated at the table. The shock was so enormous he didn't take it in for a moment. All year he'd spoken of these three teenagers, invoked their names, thought of them, worried about them, longed for news of them. And now they were there before him, in the flesh, smiling up at him in surprise and pleasure.

There was Hermione Granger, bushy haired and buck toothed, thinner than he remembered her. Next to her, red headed Ron Weasley, Ginny's older brother, his chin stubbly and his hair long. And best of all, scrawny, bespeccled and grinning broadly, was the real leader of Dumbledore's Army, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One; Harry Potter himself.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Harry's Return

Neville could hardly believe his eyes, even though this was what he'd been waiting for all year. Harry, Ron and Hermione, there in the little upstairs room of the Hog's Head. It seemed bizarre to see them in that setting, with Ab. They all looked older somehow, their clothes were ragged and their hair long and unkempt. But then he hardly looked spick and span himself.

'I knew you'd come,' he said again, as he hugged Hermione, not caring that she was a girl. 'Kept telling Seamus it was a matter of time.' Even as he said it, a part of him still wondered that he'd actually been right. He wanted to keep touching them, to prove they were real.

'Neville, what's happened to you?' asked Harry, peering at his face.

But Neville wasn't going to be distracted by questions and waved Harry's concern away. He could hardly wait to get them back to the Room of Requirement and show everyone. Show them that he'd been right, that they were going to fight and win. 'This is nothing, Seamus is worse. You'll see. Shall we get going then?' He had to restrain himself from dragging them into the tunnel, but as he turned away from the room a thought struck him. 'Oh, Ab, there might be a couple more people on the way.'

'Couple more?' said Ab, scowling at him. 'What d'you mean, 'a couple more', Longbottom? There's a curfew and a caterwauling charm on the whole village!'

'I know, that's why they'll be Apparating directly into the bar. Just send them down the passage when they get here, will you? Thanks a lot.' He was too happy and excited to be bothered much about Ab's sulking – and he knew that Dumbledore's brother would help, even if he grumbled about it. He helped Hermione into the tunnel, then followed Ron up.

Harry stopped to say something to Aberforth, and Neville used the chance to pull out his Galleon and send the message. A shiver went up his spine. Soon they'd all be back together, and it would all be over – or at least, beginning to be over. Taking Hogwarts back would be the start, and from there they'd get back the Ministry, and defeat You-Know-Who properly.

Neville felt as though he was walking on air as they made their way back along the tunnel, and couldn't stop grinning. He could hardly wait to see the looks on the faces of the DA when he arrived in the Room of Requirement. On the way, he filled in Harry, Ron and Hermione on events in Hogwarts. They reacted with dismay, but Neville had the feeling they didn't really understand just what it had been like. Their own story was more exciting – they confirmed they'd escaped Gringotts on a dragon – but when he tried to find out exactly what they'd been doing, Harry changed the subject to Hogwarts.

By the time he'd relayed the events of the past year, right up to his Gran's escape and his own close encounter with the Carrows, they'd reached the portrait at the other end. Barely able to contain his glee, he pushed open the door into the familiar room and cried, 'Look who it is! Didn't I tell you!'

The next minute passed in a blur with everyone rushing to greet their three lost friends. Neville smiled even more broadly at the amazement and delight on the faces of his comrades. They'd been through so much, and now the end was in sight. Seeing Harry was in danger of being completely mobbed, he called out in his best authoritative tone, 'OK, OK, calm down,' and watched as the DA obeyed him.

Harry, Ron and Hermione expressed interest in the Room of Requirement and how it worked, and everyone chipped in with telling how the room had evolved since they started living in it. Neville felt buoyed up by happiness and anticipation, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet. But as the conversation turned once again to what Harry and the others had been doing for the past year, he began to feel a sense of unease creeping over him.

Harry didn't look right. Apart from being unkempt and unshaven, which was to be expected, he was also pale and his scar appeared more livid than he remembered. When Seamus asked what the trio had been aiming to steal from Gringotts, Harry went so pale Neville thought he was going to faint. He swayed and beads of sweat appeared on his brow, Ron grabbing his friend to hold him upright. Neville's vague misgiving was replaced by real alarm.

Cursing himself for not being more thoughtful of his friend, he grabbed a chair and tried to get Harry to sit, but Harry cut off his solicitous questions and muttered, 'We need to get going,' to Ron and Hermione, who looked as anxious as Neville felt.

'What are we going to do then, Harry, what's the plan?' asked Seamus, who still looked hopeful. Seamus, who'd been so sceptical all along, now seemed to be clinging onto hope more than Neville, the true believer, could.

Harry looked like he could barely keep the room in focus, let alone form a coherent plan. He was white and sweaty and shaking, his face tight with pain. Only Ron's sturdy arm was preventing him from sliding to the floor, as far as Neville could see. And he knew how Harry felt – not the pain necessarily – but the pressure, the feeling of everyone looking to you when you were inadequate for the task. 'Plan?' said Harry stupidly, as though he'd never heard the word before. He managed to go on, seeming to force the words out. 'Well, there's something we – Ron, Hermione and I - need to do, and then we'll get out of here.'

The words hit Neville and sank in his stomach like a lead balloon. He couldn't quite believe he'd just heard the last sentence. Maybe Harry was confused. 'What d'you mean, "get out of here"?' he asked, staring at his old dorm mate.

'We haven't come back to stay,' said Harry. His hand was at his forehead, rubbing his scar. 'There's something important we need to do-'

Neville seized this. 'What is it?' he asked, his mind whirring with possibilities. Was it to kill Snape? Rally the school around him to fight?

'I-I can't tell you,' replied Harry, still looking as though he might fall over at any moment.

Once again, there was a leaden sinking sensation in his stomach. He felt a sense of events spiralling out of his control. He'd imagined this encounter so many times, he couldn't understand why it wasn't going the way he'd always supposed it would. He knew he must be frowning at Harry, knew he must sound impatient, but he didn't care. He'd had so much faith, kept working for this moment even when no one else thought it could come. He'd thought Luna and Ginny were dead. He'd seen his own Gran hounded out of her home because of him. All for this day. 'Why can't you tell us? It's something to do with fighting You-Know-Who, right?'

Harry was looking at him with bleary eyes, as though he couldn't quite see him. 'Well, yeah,' he said, rather reluctantly.

'Then we'll help you,' said Neville firmly. Around him, he could feel the DA's agreement. He felt them like an extension of him, behind him, ready and willing to follow where he led.

'You don't understand,' said Harry, his tone flat and despairing. 'We-we can't tell you. We've got to do it alone.'

Neville couldn't understand it. Why had Harry come back to Hogwarts if he didn't want anything to do with his old friends? 'Why?' he asked, not able to articulate the rest.

'Because Dumbledore left the three of us a job, and we weren't supposed to tell. I mean, he wanted us to do it, just the three of us.' Harry seemed to have difficulty getting his words out. His mind was elsewhere. Neville had the feeling Harry saw him as an irritating fly that he wanted to swat away and stop bothering him. Hurt and anger were growing inside.

'We're his Army,' he said, aware he sounded like he was pleading. Aware that he _was _pleading. 'Dumbledore's Army. We were all in it together, we've been keeping it going while you three have been off on your own-' his voice was picking up volume and momentum as all the emotions inside him bubbled up.

'It hasn't exactly been a picnic, mate,' said Ron warningly, still supporting Harry.

But Neville wasn't going to allow them that. 'I never said it had, but I don't see why you can't trust us. Everyone in this Room's been fighting and has been driven in here because the Carrows were hunting them down. Everyone in here has proven they're loyal to Dumbledore – loyal to you.' The last three words sounded like an accusation.

All year he'd been talking up Harry Potter, the great Harry Potter, the Chosen One. The one who would return and make everything all right. But now he was here, Harry seemed smaller than he'd remembered. He didn't look like a hero. He looked a shaky mess. Neville remembered Harry's odd dreams and funny turns, the visions and strange behaviour that had sparked the first rumours about his not being 'quite right'. Neville knew the crap in the _Prophet _wasn't true, but to see Harry now, it would be hard not to believe it.

And after all this time, all Harry had to say to his loyal followers was that he couldn't trust them to tell them what he was doing, and that he had to get away as soon as possible. For the first time, doubt crept into Neville's mind. What if Harry's detractors weren't all wrong?

Harry started to say something in response, but they were interrupted by the portrait hole opening again and Luna and Dean entering the room. Neville's heart skipped at the sight of Luna, but quickly dropped again as he realised he'd dragged her and Dean – and a lot of others too – out of safe hiding places just to see Harry looking like he was on his last legs, about to push off and leave them in the lurch again.

He tried to explain it to Harry. 'We all thought that if you came back, it would mean revolution. That we were going to overthrow Snape and the Carrows,' he explained, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks as anger at his own stupidity built up inside him. Why had he believed that Harry would bother to come back to help them? It was obvious that he, Ron and Hermione were above such mere trifles as their schoolmates in danger.

Harry was looking and sounding increasingly like a trapped animal, eyes looking for an exit, hands moving as he tried to explain himself. 'Listen. I'm sorry, but that's not what we came back for. There's something we've got to do, and then-'

The DA wouldn't let him finish, Michael Corner interrupting. Neville looked around at their angry, hurt faces and knew they were reflecting his own expression.

Ron was now trying to fob them off. 'What we're doing will benefit everyone in the end, it's all about trying to get rid of You-Know-Who-' he said heatedly.

'Then let us help!' exploded Neville, unable to let Ron finish. 'We want to be a part of it!' He wanted to grab at Ron and shake him. Ron, who'd always been the ordinary one, the sidekick. Didn't he know what it was like to be one of the ordinary masses, not wanting to be a helpless spectator of events that would affect his whole life?

Behind them, more people were trooping through the portrait hole. Ginny was there, smiling at Harry as though there was no one else in the room, followed by her older brothers, plus Lee Jordan and Cho Chang. Everyone was coming back to fight. _Yes, Longbottom, because you called them! Because you've been telling them every day since September that that's what would happen! _He heard Snape's cold voice saying, 'they will follow you to torture and to death.'

'You've got to stop this!' Harry was facing him. His cheeks had more colour in, probably from anger. He was standing unsupported by Ron and was glowering at Neville. 'What did you call them all back for? This is insane!'

Neville didn't know how to answer. Everyone was talking at once. All he could see was Harry. He felt that he understood Harry very well now. The pressure of being the one everyone looked to, of carrying people's expectations. He'd felt it a bit himself this year, but rather than sympathising, he'd offloaded as much as he could onto Harry's absent shoulders. Now the boy was here in front of him, Neville felt the full force of Harry's inadequacy.

After a hasty whispered conversation with Ron and Hermione, Harry turned back to the Room to make an announcement. To Neville's relief, he was finally asking for help. There was something hidden in Hogwarts that they had to find to defeat You-Know-Who, and they thought it had belonged to Ravenclaw. As members of that House chipped in with suggestions, Neville watched Harry. He could see the strain and desperation on that face. He resolved in that instant to help Harry, against all the odds, whether Harry wanted his help or not.

The conversation had concluded with Luna to take Harry to the Ravenclaw Common Room to see a statue of the House's Founder. Harry was still muttering asides to Ron and Hermione, and Neville had the feeling something big was going on. He showed Harry and Luna to the door, feeling a renewed anxiety that he'd never see them again. 'Be careful, Harry, they're always patrolling the corridors at night,' he cautioned. Part of him wished he could go with Harry. He didn't want to lose him or Luna so soon after regaining them. But he also knew he couldn't leave the DA. He watched the two of them scurry away, then turned back to the Room.

'All right everyone, whilst Harry and Luna are gone we need to get ready,' he said, sounding more confident than he felt.

'Are we fighting or not?' asked Seamus, rather belligerently.

Neville was about to say he wasn't sure, but he stopped himself. Having just watched Harry, he knew how hard it was to look to a leader who clearly had no more idea than you did about what to do next. 'We need to be ready for anything,' he told the DA. 'Make sure you're all comfortable, get your wands. Those who don't have wands need to make sure they stay with someone who does, at least until they can get one.'

'We're calling in the Order of the Phoenix,' said Fred Weasley. 'They'll all want to fight too.'

'Good,' said Neville loudly to the room. 'The Order of the Phoenix is like the adult version of Dumbledore's Army, they were trained by Dumbledore himself. They fought in the first war and they'll fight again now, they've got Aurors and everything.' He reeled off the limited information he'd picked up during his brushes with the Order. 'Having some adults to help will make a big difference.'

'But Harry didn't want to fight,' called Michael Corner.

Neville opened his mouth to respond, but Seamus got there first. 'I dunno about anyone else, but Harry didn't tell us to resist the Carrows all this year. He didn't help us rescue first years from being tortured, or get us to mess up Halloween or remind everyone why it was worth not giving up on Hogwarts. Neville's the one who's done all that. If Harry doesn't want to help us fight for Hogwarts, that's up to him, but he can't stop the rest of us. I've followed Neville all year and he's done all right by us. I'm not going to stop now.'

A ragged cheer went round the room. Neville felt giddy with emotion – shock, horror and at the same time, pleasure. Even Ginny was joining in. He looked guiltily over at Ron and Hermione, but they didn't seem to have noticed as they had their heads together in eager conversation. As he watched, both got up and made their way over to the exit. Whatever Neville was or wasn't going to lead the DA into, Ron and Hermione clearly had plans of their own.

'Well, I say we wait for Harry to get back, and for everyone else to arrive,' said Neville loudly. 'Harry might need more people to help him look for this thing he has to find. And if we all go out now they'll know something is up and they might catch Harry. So we wait.'

To his surprise, everyone seemed to accept that. A buzz of excited conversation went round the Room, as everyone began catching up with friends they hadn't seen for many months. Neville didn't join in the chatter. He found Trevor and scooped his toad into his pocket, then took his copy of _Comprehensive Defensive Magic _and re-read some of his favourite passages. He knew them almost off by heart, but it was comforting, especially seeing his father's notes in the margin. It seemed like they were written for him, his father speaking to him from the time he was sane.

A steady stream of people trickled in through the portrait hole, many of whom were greeted with great enthusiasm. Neville made it his business to greet each in person and explain the plan. Even the adults didn't seem to question him. One of them, a black Auror whom he remembered as Kingsley Shacklebolt gave him a particularly firm handshake. 'Honoured to meet you, I understand you've been leading the Hogwarts resistance,' he said in his deep slow voice.

'You're from Potterwatch, you're Royal!' said Neville in surprise.

Shacklebolt smiled and tapped his nose. 'My fame has spread,' he laughed. He seemed calm but serious and Neville liked him at once.

'Mr Shacklebolt,' he said quietly, drawing the Auror to one side. 'I'm sort of leading at the moment, but I'm not really – well, I don't really know what I'm doing. If it comes to a fight, would you be able to… help me?'

The Auror smiled. 'You must call me Kingsley, and of course I will help you. You've done a great job this far, but none of us expects you to run a battle alone. If it comes to a fight – which I think it will – we'll be alongside each other. I knew your parents, as a matter of fact. They were good people,very fine Aurors. I can see both of them in you.' He squeezed Neville's shoulder, and quickly started up a conversation with Remus Lupin to give Neville a chance to compose himself.

After what felt like an eternity, Harry and Luna reappeared as suddenly as they'd gone. Both looked excited and breathless but thankfully unhurt. Neville hurried over, but before he reached them, Harry called out, 'They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organised. We're fighting!'


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Harry's Request

It was only an hour and a bit since the DA had left the Room of Requirement and stormed down to the Great Hall, full of adrenaline and excitement at finally being able to do something after so long spent cooped up. But for Neville, it felt like an eternity. How could the whole world have changed so fast? Everything had passed in a blur – McGonagall evacuating the younger students, Voldemort's voice ringing out in the Hall as he asked them to give up Harry, and then everyone getting ready to defend Hogwarts and the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry had vanished in his quest for the hidden weapon, and Neville had joined a group who were planning to throw mandrakes from the battlements. It was a clever tactic – the howling mandrakes could disable several Death Eaters at once and dropped from the darkness went unnoticed until it was too late. But Voldemort's forces, who were baying at the walls, had quickly fought back. Neville's little group of four, based on top of Ravenclaw tower, were forced to retreat.

Determined not to be defeated, Neville grabbed the last of the mandrakes and ignored the plea of Padma Patil as he rushed to the other side of the battlements. He threw over the remainder and tore off his earmuffs, just as a huge explosion behind him threw him hard against the wall. Screams were cut off midway. In the ringing quiet that followed, he turned to see Padma, pushing herself up to a sitting position. Next to her, the other two Gryffindor girls had not been so lucky.

One, a girl called Ellie, lay with her eyes still open. They looked bright and moist, but the pupils were fixed. Her mouth was open in an expression of surprise. Her body looked tense, as though she might push off the stone and get up at any moment. The other, Amy, was lying face down. Part of the back of her head was missing and her dark red blood made a horrible puddle against the pale stone.

Another dull thud accompanied by a flare of orange-red light made the whole tower sway. He grabbed Padma, who despite being so covered in dust her dark skin looked grey, seemed to be relatively unscathed. 'Come on, we've got to get out of here! Come on, you get Amy and I'll get Ellie, we can use _Mobilicorpus. _Quick now!'

Moving as though in a dream, they dragged the bodies out from under the wall and levitated them into the door. Numbly they began to stumble down the spiral stairs. Dust drifted down from the ceiling and walls, a fine powder. As they descended, they became aware of the bangs and clunks from the tower walls, each accompanied by a little shower of gravel. By the time they were halfway down, whole chunks of masonry were falling past them.

There was a horrible splintering groan that seemed to come from deep within the walls. The unearthly echoes sounded like the death throes of some wounded sea monster. Above them, the swaying was becoming ever more apparent. Neville cast a Shield charm to try and ward off the tumbling pieces as another moaning creak rent the air. 'It's like the castle's screaming!' sobbed Padma, who was on the edge of hysteria.

'We'll have to leave the bodies!' panted Neville, pressing himself back against the wall as lump of stone the size of a brick broke into pieces two steps below them.

Padma was in no fit state to disagree, and he pushed downwards, guiding her with his hands on her shoulders. He had no time to even look back, but when he rounded the next bend he caught a glimpse of the two corpses, like a pile of discarded clothing. Padma was barely holding it together, and he knew it wouldn't take much to make her snap. Once she let her emotions take over, they'd be stuck. He couldn't let that happen. He had to keep her moving, keep her focussing on the way down. 'Look at your feet, just focus on the stairs, every step down is another nearer the bottom!' he coaxed, shouting over the noise. He wished they hadn't discarded their earmuffs when they'd lobbed the last of the mandrakes over the parapet. He wondered if Professor Sprout and the others had had any more luck on Gryffindor tower. He prayed his favourite teacher was all right.

The stairs were trembling now and the fall of stone was constant, a thick powdery rain with occasional fragments of rock. It was hard to keep his footing, and Padma stumbled and screamed out loud. He pushed her downwards, desperate to get her out before she froze up. 'Just keep going, we're nearly down!' he yelled, as the biggest chunks of wall yet crashed past them.

Above he heard a tremendous crashing, and realised part of the tower had fallen clean away. He flattened Padma against the wall, narrowly avoiding decapitation by more falling stone. To his immense relief he saw the foot of the staircase. 'There, go!' he shouted. Padma gave a wail of relief and flung herself through the door. Neville tumbled after her, pulling himself into the wooden frame of the door, but something was holding him back. He stopped and turned to the stairs again, ignoring Padma's scream. Pointing his wand upwards he shouted, '_Accio _bodies!_' _

A stone block fell from nowhere, so close he felt it almost graze him, followed by a dark shape that hit him before he could avoid it. For a second he thought he was a goner, before he registered the softness and awkwardness of the object. It was the body of his old classmate Ellie Stevens. As he pulled her through the doorway another eerie groan heralded several massive blocks of stone that crunched to the ground, followed by a final long low rumble and a cascade of stone. He fell through the doorway with the body just as the remains of the tower caved in on itself, with a final cloud of billowing dust.

He lay, winded and choking, on the flagstones, trying to catch his breath. Padma flung herself on him, no trace of her usual calm and composed self. 'Neville, why did you do that? You could have been killed!' she screamed, hitting him ineffectually.

'I couldn't leave them there! I know they're… but I couldn't! Amy's body wouldn't come though, something must have fallen on it.' He succumbed to another coughing fit. The doorway was now walled in by chunks of fallen building. He looked at the corpse slumped at his feet. Ellie, who'd shared his lessons for years, she and Amy. Quiet and unobtrusive, overshadowed by the louder Lavender and Parvati, and brainy Hermione. Ellie had once accidentally spilled Shrinking Solution on Snape's foot. Best Potions lesson ever.

Screams and bangs from somewhere to his left jerked him out of his grief. 'Padma, put Ellie somewhere out of the way, stay down yourself until you feel better. Remember what we did in the DA, OK?'

The Ravenclaw girl clung to him, her eyes rolling in panic. Her fingers felt like a vice and he had to resist the urge to push her away. 'Don't go Neville, please! Don't go and die, I can't bear it!'

'I'm not going to die!' he informed her firmly, disentangling himself. He clambered to his feet, wiping dust off his face. The sounds of battle were distinct and definite, calling to him irresistibly. He started along the corridor towards them, pausing to shout back, 'We're going to win, Padma, don't forget it!'

The stairs were lit by multi-coloured flashes of spells and echoed with the cries of those fighting below. The castle shook all the time, dust hanging in the air. As Neville reached the bottom, he dodged sideways to avoid a spell. Whipping around with his wand, he fired off a Stunning spell just in time to knock out a Death Eater who was bearing down on Dean Thomas. Dean had no time to thank him, as he was immediately confronted by another hooded figure.

Neville quickly took stock of where he was. They were back on the ground floor, right outside the empty classroom that Professor Sprout had been using as a sort of additional greenhouse for storing plants that were valuable or dangerous. Everyone seemed to be holding their own for the moment, so he ducked into the room, which was still unlocked, and surveyed the plants. The mandrakes were used up, but there was plenty more greenery here that could be used as a weapon.

A movement made him catch his breath and spin around, casting a shield charm as he did so. But it wasn't a Death Eater. The strange, semi-solid form of Peeves the poltergeist faced him, grinning malevolently. Before it could speak, Neville pointed to a box. 'See those Peeves? Snargaluff pods – take the lot and chuck them down on Death Eaters. We'll see how well they duel then.' The mischievous spirit cackled before swooping down to gather up the fat green pods and zoomed out of the room.

Neville himself approached with caution the Venomous Tentacula standing in a shady corner. Reaching out, he stroked the stem in the right direction, careful not to apply too much pressure, and waited. The plant seemed to relax, its tendrils sagging comfortably. It felt odd, this moment of calm, after the stress and urgency of the situation outside. When he judged the moment was right, he lifted the plant into his arms, and carried it out of the room.

Even in the short time he'd been in the classroom, the fight had moved on. Feeling rather lost, he looked left and right. For a moment he thought everything was over. Then he heard a shattering sound to the left, and he puffed along the corridor towards the Entrance Hall. As he approached, he could hear the other sounds of battle; the shouted spells, the cries of pain and exertion, a great metallic crashing which must have been a suit of armour meeting a sticky end.

He slipped into the Entrance Hall unnoticed, narrowly missing a Stunning spell that came out of nowhere. He could see Kingsley Shacklebolt and Professor Flitwick both duelling Death Eaters. He murmured to the plant, 'They're yours, the ones with the hoods, the ones who smell evil,' and felt a surge of pleasure as the plant did his bidding and snaked out tentacles to the nearest Death Eater. The man didn't realise at first, then gave a shriek of alarm. Neville allowed himself a small smile. People who enjoyed 'flash and bang' magic rarely paid much attention in Herbology – the better the duellers, the more terrified and baffled they were likely to be by the Tentacula. The hooded figure clearly had no idea what he was faced with or how to disentangle himself, and he was pulled down by the creeping vines.

Kingsley took advantage of the man's distraction and finished him off with a powerful stunner that blasted him backwards, he then joined Flitwick in making short work of the other Death Eater. Neville heard a crash of splintering glass and saw a man crumpled on the floor beneath a shattered crystal ball, his hood halfway off his head. Running forwards, he almost tripped over Lavender Brown who was spread-eagled on the ground, barely moving. He cast a Shield charm over her, just as a window broke and the doors finally burst open.

All eyes turned to the doorway, and even the duellers paused. Something was coming through the doors. It seemed to be in slow motion, yet at the same time happened too quickly. Thick black legs, covered in giant coarse bristles, snaked around the door frame. Far too many of them. In seconds they were everywhere around the frame, with more reaching into the middle, feeling the air. They were followed by solid hairy bodies with pincers and many glittering eyes. Giant spiders. He remembered Ron's horror stories of the huge spiders that lived in the Forest, and his Gran's stories about bad boys who got fed to Acromantulas. But at least spiders were meant to be scary. Somehow it was easier to blast a spider than a person.

He fired off spell after spell, as did everyone else – even some of the Death Eaters seemed to have forgotten – or perhaps never realised – the spiders were on their side. The horrible creatures flailed their legs around, rearing up to an even greater height. Neville tried to aim for their bellies, unsure if this was a weaker part in spiders, and their many eyes. 'Don't hurt 'em, don't hurt 'em!' bellowed a voice, and the next moment Hagrid had appeared in the midst of the spiders.

Cursing, Neville cut off the spell he'd been about to cast, afraid of hitting Hagrid. At first he thought the Gamekeeper's instruction was meant for the beasts, but it dawned on him that Hagrid actually meant to protect the spiders. As he watched, the spiders closed in around Hagrid and began to retreat. Harry Potter appeared as if from nowhere, rushing after Hagrid, shouting his name. Ron and Hermione weren't far behind, trying to call Harry back. Spiders, Hagrid, Harry and Ron and Hermione disappeared through the doors into the darkness.

For a moment everyone was still, regaining their breath, still reeling from the events they just witnessed. The Venomous Tentacula was creeping steadily over the ground towards another Death Eater. Before anyone could restart fighting, a great crashing from outside drew more gasps and hasty shield charms. There were thuds and the sound of breaking glass. 'Giants!' yelled someone, and sure enough, a vast hairy leg was just visible through the gloom outside the doors.

'HAGGER!' came a roar that shook the little remaining glass in the windows. There was another roar, wordless but so loud and deep that it was followed by a tinkling as more glass tumbled from the smashed panes. The ground trembled with more great crashes. There was another yell, much closer, and he turned just in time to see a Death Eater tugged to the ground by the Venomous Tentacula, which was reeling him in. Neville wasn't sure how it managed to look so gleeful when it was just stem, leaves and tendrils, but it somehow did.

The scream acted like a starter's whistle and suddenly the Entrance Hall was alive again with fighters duelling. Neville found himself locked in combat with a short stumpy Death Eater. He could hear the man's fast wheezy breathing. However what he lacked in physical fitness he made up for in magical power. A second spell grazed Neville's ear, missing by the merest fraction. It was all he could do to defend himself, let alone think about attacking, and he was backed further and further away until his back was against the wall.

'_Protego!_' he kept saying, willing the spell with all his power. He was vaguely aware of more roars and crashes from outside, but all he could think about was his assailant and preventing his spells from penetrating.

Finally, he sensed the Death Eater weakening, and took advantage. He suddenly ducked low, dropping to a crouch, a trick his Dad's books had shown him. At the same time, he fired a spell upwards, straight at the man's head. Not the way you were taught to stun because of the risk of death if the spell was strong enough, but effective. The Death Eater keeled over backwards.

He looked around the Entrance Hall. They were keeping the Death Eaters off – though off what he wasn't sure what any more. Harry was what they wanted, and he'd left the castle. Presumably they wouldn't stop until they had complete control of Hogwarts and all the resistance members had been wiped out. How much longer could they fight for?

He took the opportunity to run forwards to where Lavender was lying in a crumpled heap. She stirred slightly and made faint whimpering noises when he shook her. Keeping low and looking around for danger all the time, he dragged her away from the centre of the floor to the back wall. He wanted somewhere safe to put her but there was nowhere safe left. He'd barely laid her down when a shout alerted him to the return of a spider – just the one this time, but still horrifying.

Everyone else in the Hall was either injured or fighting, so he ran forwards to take on the beast himself. He cast a series of Stunning spells, aiming for the glittering wall of eyes, hoping that the volley would have a cumulative effect. But the spells seemed to bounce off the spider's hairy body without having the slightest effect, other than annoying it.

Desperate, he tried a bright flash of light, hoping to blind the dark-loving creature. The spider reared up, its foremost legs peddling in the air, and crashing down so close to Neville that he had to step hastily back, craning his neck up to see the huge arachnid. His foot caught something and he stumbled, falling heavily. He opened his hands instinctively and his wand went skittering away. 'No!' he cried, cursing his clumsiness, and trying to back away from the spider which was now looming over him, homing in on its prey.

Then the spider was blasted backwards, with a nasty squelching thump, by a spell so bright Neville shut his eyes. Before he could open them, he was being pulled back to his feet and a familiar voice was saying, '_Accio _wand!'

'Gran!' he gasped, as his wand was thrust back into his hand. He was so surprised he couldn't even ask how she came to be there.

Before his Gran could speak, the high, cold voice of Voldemort rang out once again. Everyone stopped in mid fight, and the two sides backed warily away from each other as the Dark Lord spoke. 'You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.'

Neville exchanged a stunned glance with his Gran as the voice continued. 'I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour.'

A stunned silence followed the words. The Death Eaters had been melting backwards towards the doors even as their master spoke, they must have been expecting the order to retreat. Some of them looked bitterly disappointed, but none tried to disobey, and all were gone as suddenly as they had arrived. Retreating thuds from outside suggested even the giants were retreating.

He looked again at his grandmother and said weakly, 'Harry isn't even in here. He ran off outside after Hagrid.'

'The whereabouts of Potter is Potter's business,' sniffed his Grandmother. 'We need to focus on our part.'

Kingsley Shaklebolt clapped his hands several times for attention. 'We need to get everybody inside. The castle is badly damaged, we are in a siege situation. We could retreat to the dungeons but that would reduce our options for escape; they are also the part of the castle best known to those from Slytherin house – which many of our enemies are. I suggest we use the Great Hall. It is large enough and we can defend the entrance quite effectively, there's also a back way out. Gather up the injured and help them into the Hall, move the injured first before the dead. Anyone who has knowledge of medi-magic please make themselves known.'

'I was a pretty effective Healer in my time,' announced Gran, and made off for the Hall without any goodbyes.

Neville made his way across the ruined Hall to where Lavender was still slumped against the wall where he'd left her. He bewitched her to reduce her weight, before awkwardly lifting her in his arms. Her boobs pressed against him, which made him feel uncomfortable, like he was taking advantage of her.

The Great Hall had remained relatively untouched by the battle, although a layer of dust over the floor indicated the structural damage to the castle was far reaching. He was relieved to see Professor McGonagall, Ginny's mother, and several of the other teachers. His Gran she was already barking instructions to those who'd arrived in the Hall with bodies or the walking wounded.

He laid Lavender down next to Katie Bell, who was so pale her skin seemed grey. As he turned away he saw Seamus being helped into the Hall by Dean, his arm over his best friend's shoulder and hopping on one leg. When he saw Neville he managed a grin. 'You should see the other guy,' he panted as Dean helped him lower himself onto one of the benches.

'Longbottom!' It was Professor McGonagall. 'Are you uninjured?'

'I'm fine Professor,' he confirmed.

'I need volunteers to go into the grounds; we need to try and get as many of our injured and dead back inside before the ceasefire ends. Are you prepared to go?'

'Of course,' he said at once, thinking of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid. They were all out there somewhere.

'Then go with Wood,' she pushed him the direction of the boy who had been Gryffindor Quidditch captain during Neville's early years at the school. He'd never really spoken to Wood, who'd always seemed rather like a god to him. McGonagall had already turned away and was barking instructions at someone else.

'You-Know-Who's not stupid, he knows how to get to Harry,' said Wood, without any preamble. There was something about being fighters for a common cause that made introductions seem unimportant. 'He knows Harry won't be able to bear to think of people dying for him. Where is Harry? Someone needs to find him and…well, stop him.'

'Last time I saw him he was running after Hagrid,' replied Neville. 'But he's looking for this weapon that's hidden at Hogwarts – if he thinks he can actually defeat You-Know-Who with that then maybe he won't…' He broke off as they surveyed the grounds with horror. In the faint grey dawn light, they could see the grounds looked like a battlefield, dotted with crumpled bodies. Trees were uprooted, the greenhouses were all smashed to crumped steel skeletons, and in several places small fires were burning. The tall hoops of the Quidditch goals were buckled and bent. The body of a fallen giant had crushed the broom sheds.

They lit their wands and made their way gingerly over the ruined lawn, not speaking until they reached the first of the bodies. 'Death Eater,' said Wood after a moment's inspection, his voice a mix of disgust and relief.

The next bodies were lying a short distance away from the fallen Death Eater, one to the right and one to the left. The two boys split up, Neville approaching the body on the left. It had fallen face down, one arm extended above the head, as though reaching for something. The clawed hand suggested a painful end.

Once up close, his wandlight illuminated a black school cloak, hitched up to reveal a single leg clad in blue and white striped pyjamas. Kneeling down, he gently shook the body by the shoulder, knowing it was futile. Then he saw the face and gasped. The eyes were still open, the features frozen in an expression of sheer astonishment. 'No!' he heard himself say. 'No, no, no, no, no!'

'Neville?' Wood was approaching.

'Why?' he asked the body in front of him, which was that of earnest, eager Colin Creevey.

'Neville?' asked Wood again, crouching behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

'He wasn't even seventeen, damn it! McGonagall sent him out, I saw her send him out with the other underage kids. He must have sneaked back again. He was only a kid!'

Wood said nothing, but increased the pressure on his shoulder. Snape's words echoed in his head, _'They will follow you to torture and death.' _How many times had he told the DA that they must be ready to fight in a final battle, with Colin sitting at the front, mouth slightly open, hanging on his every word? It was obvious that Colin wasn't going to trot off home with the other students and leave the rest of them to fight.

For the first time since the battle began, he was hit by the true horror of it all. He suddenly felt very cold. Although Professor Sprout's death had upset him, Colin was so young, so innocent. He'd never even had a chance to get over his astonishment at magic. Neville reached out with a hand that trembled, and touched Colin's eyelids, to draw them back down over his glassy stare. They felt horrible, and there was something sickeningly intimate about sliding the lids over the cold hard eyeballs. 'I'm sorry, Colin,' he whispered.

'You OK?' asked Wood, after a tactful pause.

Neville took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He had to be OK. He couldn't back out now. 'Yeah,' he said, faintly. 'Let's get him back into the castle.'

Colin's body was very light, even at the age of sixteen he'd been short and weedy. Random thoughts went through Neville's head as they bore the body back to Hogwarts. Where was Colin's camera? Would he have brought it with him to the battle? Suddenly something struck him, and he almost dropped Colin's shoulders. 'Dennis!' he said. Seeing Wood's blank face, he added, 'Colin's little brother, he follows him everywhere like a shadow.'

'We'll go back and look, mate,' said Wood, 'but if Colin was the man I think he was, he'd have made sure Dennis was out of harm's way before he came back.'

They made their way carefully up the steps towards the inviting rectangle of light spilling from the open doors. As they reached the doorway, Wood said, 'You know what? I can manage him alone, Neville.' With a sense of relief Neville allowed Wood to hoist Colin up over his shoulder. He didn't think he could have borne to carry him into the Great Hall, lay him out under the starlit ceiling, feeling the accusing stares of those who knew who had psyched Colin up to take part in a battle he could never have hoped to win.

Momentarily, he leant on the doorframe, wiping his brow. He wanted to break down and cry, shout and scream and rail at the world which had allowed things to turn out this way. But he couldn't. He forced himself to stand up straight, go down the stairs. He needed to look for Dennis. He had a horrible feeling the younger boy would never have stayed behind whilst Colin returned to fight.

Heavy hearted, he made his way over to a crumpled body he hadn't yet checked on. He could see that it had been bitten, mauled by some horrible creature. He wasn't sure if it was one of his own or a Death Eater. He bent forwards, trying to make out features. 'Neville.'

The voice made him jump so hard he almost tripped on the body, whirling round just as Harry Potter appeared at his side, pulling away his Invisibility Cloak. 'Blimey Harry, you nearly gave me heart failure!' His voice was higher than normal, partly from shock but also the relief at seeing Harry still alive and apparently unharmed, although he did seem to have blood on his clothes.

He stared at the boy for whom all this fighting was for. The boy who'd shared a dorm with him, sat through boring lessons with him, laughed and joked and stood up for him. He remembered his conversation with Wood, his suspicion that Harry would hand himself over rather than let people die for him. 'Where are you going, alone?' he asked.

'It's all part of the plan,' said Harry confidently. 'There's something I've got to do. Listen – Neville-'

Those words didn't sound good to Neville. 'Harry! Harry, you're not thinking of handing yourself over?' He looked hard into Harry's green eyes, visible through his smeared glasses lenses.

'No, course not,' replied Harry. He sounded very calm and confident, a much stronger and more together person than the distracted, confused boy who'd arrived in the Room of Requirement. 'This is something else. But I might be out of sight for a while. You know Voldemort's snake, Neville? He's got a huge snake… calls it Nagini?'

'I've heard, yeah – what about it?' Maybe Harry was calm and confident because he'd found the hidden weapon. He certainly didn't look like a man on his way to his death.

'It's got to be killed,' said Harry, in a low strong voice. 'Ron and Hermione know that, but just in case they-' His breath caught slightly and he didn't seem able to finish the sentence. 'Just in case they're busy, and you get the chance-'

'Kill the snake?' he repeated, to show he was following.

'Kill the snake,' Harry confirmed.

'All right, Harry. You're OK, are you?' He looked hard at the other boy. He thought of the pressure he felt, when the DA looked to him, the guilt he felt over Colin. Multiply that by a hundred, and maybe he'd know how Harry felt at that moment. He suddenly wanted badly to protect Harry, to tell him it was all OK, it wasn't his fault.

'I'm fine. Thanks, Neville.' Harry smiled, and just for a second he thought he saw something in those eyes, a flicker of sadness, of resignation. Of goodbye. As Harry turned to go, Neville grabbed his wrists, wanting him to keep him there, keep him safe.

'We're all going to keep fighting, Harry. You know that?' He couldn't say the words, but he silently willed Harry to keep believing, to be bolstered by the support of his friends, rather than burdened by it.

'Yeah, I…' Harry stopped, unable to say more. The two boys stared at each other for a moment more, then Neville patted Harry's shoulder, and turned away to look for Dennis. Every step away hurt, but he know he had to let Harry get on, complete his mission. He still couldn't shake the fear that Harry was going to hand himself over, but at the same time he knew that he couldn't keep him there. After a few paces, he looked back, but Harry had vanished, back under the cloak.

As he knelt next to the mutilated corpse, which turned out to be an older woman he thought was an Order member, he turned over Harry's strange request in his head. 'Kill the snake,' he said to himself, as he sadly gathered up the corpse and began the slow painful walk back to the castle.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Kill the Snake

Neville continued to scour the grounds for survivors. There was no sign of Dennis Creevey and Neville was beginning to allow himself a glimmer of hope that the younger boy may not have returned with his brother. Points of wandlight bobbed in the darkness around him as his fellow rescuers searched. There was a hush, broken only by occasional groans of the wounded or the calls of owls. It was strange to think a full scale battle had been going on just half an hour earlier.

His foot caught on something round and he almost fell. As he regained his balance, he brought his wand round to see what had tripped him, and his heart froze. What appeared to be a radish, attached to a metal hook. He knew where he'd last seen something like that. 'Luna!' he yelled, looking round in desperation, frustrated by the poor illumination of the beam of light from his wand. 'Luna!'

He saw a pile of what appeared to be bodies, tangled in a stout bush. He rushed over and grabbed the first, bringing his wand up to view the face. In his shock he dropped the body. Ernie Macmillan, his face frozen, quite dead. But there, tangled in the bush, he saw the other body, strands of long blonde hair tangled around the thorny branches. He felt numb as he knelt, reaching forwards, unable to bear it, not again, not a second time.

'Luna?' he whispered, as he pulled at her body, lifting her into his arms, ready to weep and cry and scream at the sky. But she felt different to Ernie – heavy yes, but warm, and pliant. 'Luna!' he gasped again, fumbling for her, dropping his wand at his side as he dragged her out of the bush and into his lap. 'Luna, Luna, say something, please!'

She moved and made a soft noise, and he stroked the hair away from her face. 'Luna, it's going to be OK, I promise, it's going to be all right now. Can you hear me?'

'Nev?' she said, although it might have been a groan.

'That's right, it's me, it's Neville, your friend Neville. Your best friend, always your friend Luna, forever.' Tears were streaming down his cheeks as the sadness and horror overtook him. 'Oh Luna, please, please be OK! I've already lost you once, I can't bear to lose you again.'

She opened her eyes and her face broke into a pained smile. 'Nev, it's really you. I thought… perhaps we were dead.' She spoke in bursts, as though every word hurt her. 'I thought this was the other side, and we were together there.' She caught her breath with a gasp of pain. 'It hurts… my leg,' she whispered.

He looked and gave a small cry of horror. Her left leg was bent, but not at the knee, in the centre. Splinters of bone stuck up. She must be in agony. 'Oh Luna, it's OK. I'll get you back to the Castle, Madam Pomfrey's there, she'll fix you.' He jammed his wand in his pocket and managed to lift her clumsily into his arms, and she screamed in pain as her leg moved, burying her head in his neck, her whole body heaving with gasps of pain. Magic be damned, he was going to carry her properly.

Neville bore his best friend across the grounds, holding her tightly, feeling her breathe. With great relief, he carried her into the bright lights of the Great Hall. He lay Luna down on the dais where the injured were being treated, his arms around her so she could rest her head against his shoulder. She was shivering violently and he made soft noises to sooth her, nonsense words that came instinctively as he stroked her head. He prayed Madam Pomfrey hurried up.

'There was a giant,' Luna said quietly. 'Harry, Ron and Hermione – they were faced by all these Dementors, and they couldn't cast their Patronuses, so me and Seamus and Ernie, we helped them. Then a giant came, and we ran, but it caught me with its club and my leg – went. I fell into that bush, and it hurt, then I heard Ernie shouting at someone, it must have been a Death Eater. Then I heard someone else say 'Avada Kedavra' and then he fell on me, and I knew I couldn't feel him breathing, and I couldn't say anything, because I didn't know where the Death Eater was.' She gave a small breathy sob, and he found her hand and entwined his fingers in hers.

'So I lay there for ages, and I heard You-Know-Who telling Harry to give himself up, and I knew he would do it, and I couldn't move, and I'd given up.' Her voice was weaker and the shaking less violent. He felt her slipping from him and hysteria rose inside him.

'Help, help me!' he shouted, desperate that Luna mustn't die now, waiting to be treated.

'I'm scared, Nev,' she whispered, clinging to his hand. 'I'm scared. It hurts, and I don't want to die, I don't want to die and know that You-Know-Who has won. I want all this to be over, I want it to go back to just you and me and Ginny, friends forever. I want to see my Dad again.' She was crying now, and he was crying with her, because he was terrified hearing Luna talk like this. Luna was always so calm and self-possessed, and although she had some really weird ideas, he'd come to feel like Luna somehow knew something they all didn't. He realised that had always given him strength. If she went to pieces now, he didn't think he could keep going.

'It's going to be OK, you must be strong, Luna, you will see your Dad again, when we've won,' he said fiercely.

More tears rolled down her cheeks. 'We're not going to win,' she choked, as he tried to wipe the tears from her face.

Before he could reply, Madam Pomfrey appeared and dropped to a crouch beside Luna. She examined the leg dispassionately. 'Nasty break. I can repair it, but it might not be a clean job. We'll need to realign it, can you hold her down?'

He stared stupidly at her, then nodded. Pomfrey looked sceptical. 'It won't be easy – it's going to hurt a lot. I've run low on pain killing potion.'

'We'll do it together,' said another voice at his shoulder. He looked round.

'Ginny!' He'd never been so glad to see anyone in his life. She'd been crying, her eyes were bloodshot and her nose red, but she had that grim determined look he knew well.

Together they lay Luna down and Pomfrey handed them a handkerchief. 'Tell her to bite on this,' she said grimly. Neville could hardly bear it, but he braced himself across Luna's thighs, pinning her to the ground. Ginny pressed on Luna's shoulders, all the while saying comforting things to her friend. Neville couldn't bear to look when Pomfrey took her wand to the injury, and Luna bucked with so much strength he was nearly thrown off. It was a horrible time, holding her down whilst she went through so much pain. Finally Pomfrey moved back, and the leg was straight, and apparently intact.

'It's not perfect,' she said. 'It will need proper treatment… afterwards.' Neville could see from the nurse's exhausted face that she didn't believe there would be a happy ending to the battle.

The three friends sat on the dais, reunited at last. He'd never imagined it would be like this, though. They sat Luna up again, and she slumped against them. Ginny kissed her friend's hair. 'You're going to be OK, Luna,' she whispered.

Neville cast a glance at Ginny. 'I'm really sorry, Gin, about your brother.' He realised he wasn't sure which of the twins it was lying on the ground among the dead. The other was slumped besides his brother's body, looking like he couldn't really believe what was happening.

'Thanks,' she whispered back, following his gaze to where the rest of her family were gathered in mourning. 'I don't think it's really hit me properly yet.' She looked at him. 'Did you know Colin's dead?'

He nodded. 'I found him. I couldn't find Dennis though.' He took a deep breath. 'Ernie's dead too.'

Ginny accepted this news with a blank face. 'I found Susan Bones in the grounds,' she continued. 'And Jenny – from my year, you know? Always been horrible to me. But now she's dead too.'

They sat and considered this in silence. Luna's breathing was more even now, and some colour was returning to her cheeks. Eventually Ginny said, 'I'm worried about Harry. No one's seen him since… that message. Ron and Hermione have gone looking for him. I think…' She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Neville had a sinking sensation. He didn't dare tell her about their meeting. Instead he said, 'Harry's looking for a weapon, remember, to destroy You-Know-Who. I reckon he'll try and find that first.'

She nodded numbly. 'Yeah, perhaps.'

Luna stirred and opened her eyes. She looked from Ginny to Neville, and back. 'Are we…?' she began.

'We're alive,' said Neville firmly. 'How are you feeling?'

Luna thought about this. 'Much better.' She caught Neville's eye. 'I'm sorry…' she began.

'You've nothing to be sorry for,' he said firmly, squeezing her fingers again.

She smiled. 'Friends forever, stick together,' she said, and drew her two friends together in a hug.

'Stick together,' echoed Ginny, adding, 'No matter what.'

For a moment, Neville felt a warmth spread through him, of being together with his two best friends, still alive despite it all. Then once more the voice of Voldemort echoed around the hall, the words hitting them like a brick. 'Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.'

Neville felt as though icy water was running through him instead of blood. His stomach turned over and he thought he was going to be sick. Luna was gripping his hand very tightly. Ginny seemed to have stopped breathing. Every face in the Hall was white and frozen, staring into the middle distance as the voice continued its terrible speech. 'The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family.'

Neville was holding his breath, unable to bear the rush of thoughts in his head. Harry hadn't run away, he knew that. The boy he'd met in the grounds had not been fleeing. He'd been on his way to give himself up. _And you didn't stop him, you idiot. Even though you _knew _that's what he'd do. Why did you convince yourself otherwise?_

'Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me and you shall be spared,' continued Voldemort. 'Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.' The air felt heavy with defeat and despair.

Finally Kingsley spoke from near the windows. 'They're approaching the castle. Minerva, will you go to the doors and see if what they say is true?'

Professor McGonagall swiftly left the Hall. After a moment's hesitation, Wood and Michael Corner followed her. Before he could stop her, Ginny extracted herself from their huddle and was after them. Bit by bit, everyone in the Great Hall was drawn towards the doors. The silence was terrible. He was still holding Luna's hand, and when he looked at her face it was strained and frightened.

'NO!' Professor McGonagall's scream was terrible, and galvanised everyone into action, suddenly they were running, pushing and shoving to get to the door. He and Luna stumbled out onto the steps to be faced with a terrible sight.

A line of Death Eaters stretched out in front of the steps. In the centre was Voldemort, his flattened snake-like face alight with victory, and next to him was Hagrid, weeping over a body in his arms. The round glasses and messy dark hair, the lightning bolt scar left them in no doubt. Next to him, Luna choked the word, 'No!' so softly only he could hear. All around them the noise was growing, as the remaining fighters wailed and screamed. Ginny was shrieking Harry's name over and over again, Ron was crying openly and bellowing his best friend's name between sobs, Hermione had abandoned cold rationality and was screaming like a banshee for her lost friend. But Neville couldn't speak, couldn't scream, couldn't cry. He felt terrible. And he felt anger.

'You're all cowards!' he shouted, surprising himself. 'Evil, murdering, cowardly bastards!'

Next to him, Luna's voice, no longer vague and dreamy, joined in. 'You think you're clever to kill a seventeen year old boy who's not even left school!' she yelled, 'You're nothing but murdering scum!'

Other voices joined theirs, as horror and disbelief gave way to defiant anger. He saw the look on Voldemort's face, a look he'd seen before on the ugly features of Snape and the Carrows when he and the DA refused to be cowed by their bullying. 'SILENCE!' screamed Voldemort, waving a hand that cast a powerful spell, forcing silence on them like a dense cloud.

'It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet where he belongs!' commanded Voldemort, over the enforced silence. They watched as Hagrid, sobbing like a baby, lowered Harry's body down to the ground with infinite tenderness.

'You see?' continued Voldemort, pacing up and down behind the still form of Harry. 'Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!'

'He beat you!' came a voice, breaking through the dense silencing charm. It was Ron, his face red from crying, holding tightly onto Hermione and looking at Voldemort with a hatred Neville had never seen on his face before. Neville and the rest took their chance to add agreement, until Voldemort cast another spell and once again a muffling blanket descended on them.

'He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, killed while trying to save himself.'

Neville couldn't bear it, the image of Harry standing before him, that moment of sorrow in his eyes, kept flashing into his mind. He'd had the chance to stop him, and he hadn't. He could bear that Harry was dead and his pain over, he could bear that he'd done the noble thing as they'd all known deep down he would, but he couldn't have Voldemort turn Harry's selfless act of heroism into a cowardly escape attempt.

He flung himself forwards, pushing Luna and McGonagall aside, charging straight for Voldemort. He'd kill him with his bare hands if he had to, anything to shut him up. But even as he moved, a Disarming spell hit him and his wand was snatched from his hand, and a force so strong it could never be resisted struck him down. He landed hard, hearing Voldemort's laughter above him.

'And who is this?' asked the voice. 'Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?'

Another voice, one he hated as much as Voldemort's own, answered. 'It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?' The speaker was Bellatrix Lestrange, the woman who'd tortured his parents to insanity so many years ago. Another score he'd dearly love to settle on his way out.

'Ah yes, I remember,' said Voldemort. Neville could feel the Dark Lord's eyes on him as he tried to get back to his feet. He didn't care, he would attack again and again. He remembered his promise to Harry, to kill the snake. He could see it there, next to Voldemort, floating in an odd glittering cage. He'd rather have gone for Bellatrix, but he owed it to Harry. 'But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?' asked the voice, with cold precision, as he finally regained his feet.

He stood, facing down Voldemort, eye to eye. He felt no fear, just hatred. He knew he was going to die, and he felt nothing but determination to take the snake with him – and if he could get Voldemort and Lestrange at the same time, so much the better. 'So what if I am?' he replied, holding the red-eyed gaze.

'You show spirit, and bravery, and come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.'

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He selected his words carefully, for maximum effect. He was thinking of those behind him, those he loved and had tried to lead. 'I'll join you when hell freezes over,' he replied, then thrust a fist into the air as he cried, 'Dumbledore's Army!' To his satisfaction, an answering whoop came from crowd.

'Very well,' said Voldemort, who didn't seem surprised by his defiance. 'If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head be it.' As he spoke, he waved his wand, and Neville prepared to die, but nothing happened. As he tried to decide if he could make it across the remaining metres to where the snake floated, something flew into the outstretched hand of Voldemort. He stared in bemusement.

'There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more houses. The emblem, shield and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone, won't they, Neville Longbottom?' As Voldemort finished his sentence, Neville felt the iron sensation of a full body bind set over him, with some extra force that kept him on his feet despite every muscle being frozen. He felt despair; he'd missed his chance.

He watched Voldemort walk towards him, still carrying the Sorting Hat. The Dark Lord reached out and the world was blacked out as the Hat fell over his ears. The next part of Voldemort's speech was drowned out by the Hat, which was raving about the indignity and inappropriateness of the situation. 'Even Slytherin would be turning in his gra- arghhh!' It was cut off as it burst into flames. At first Neville didn't realise, but the heat and crackling cast a primeval fear through him that he understood instinctively.

Everything happened at once. There was noise from outside, screams and crashes and a big roar which must have been from a giant. The hat was still burning and he strained against the Bind. If only he could move, he would throw himself at the snake, still flaming, maybe burn it. He'd grab it with his bare hands and strangle it, beat it, press his flaming head against it. Anything to kill it. He knew he was going to die, but there was time. He would kill the snake and then join Harry and Colin, Fred and Professor Lupin, where no one could hurt them anymore.

Suddenly, the curse weakened and he was able to move, falling forwards. He felt something in the Hat next to his head, something heavy and metallic. 'The Sword! The Sword of Gryffindor!' wheezed the Hat.

He pulled the Hat off and reached inside, where the ruby encrusted hilt was glistening. Fighting had broken out all around but he was focussed on only one thing, the snake. It was very close, still floating next to Voldemort, who had turned to look the other way at something. The sword was heavy, heavier than he remembered from their attempt to steal it. He knew he had only one chance. Without thinking too much, he swung the sword in an arc, concentrating on the snake alone. The blade moved through the air, and he felt as though it was a part of himself.

It passed through the charmed bars of the cage, which vanished at the first touch of the blade, and hit the snake's body just below the head with a 'thwunk!' He barely felt any resistance as it sliced through the thick body, and then the head was tumbling over through the air, as Voldemort turned back with a look of horror on his face. Voldemort screamed as the snake's body fell from the air and landed with a dull, definite thud.

The air between him and Voldemort distorted slightly and he felt himself pushed back, as he realised it was a Shield Charm. It was impossible to tell who had cast it. Everywhere was pandemonium, people running back into the fray, screaming curses, fighting with hands and feet and nails as well as magic. Thestrals and hippogriffs attacked from the air, Hogsmeade villagers in pyjamas had entered the fight with more energy than the battle-weary original combatants, and the giants scattered men and beasts alike with every move. There was a sense of desperate abandon. Everyone was fighting now as though to the death.

He swung the sword again at a Death Eater who was trying to curse Dean Thomas, looking around wildly for Bellatrix. A giant's great foot smashed down, interposing between him and Voldemort. Centaurs had appeared from nowhere and were sending volleys of arrows into the fray. The giants seemed to be everywhere, and he ran a gauntlet of crashing feet as he headed back towards the castle, along with everyone else.

They surged through the Entrance Hall, so chaotic it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand. He saw Voldemort backing into the Great Hall, surrounded by Death Eaters. Seamus, recovered from his injury but still limping slightly, rushed past him, and Neville followed the general throng into the Hall.

Inside, it was immediately apparent that things were starting to go their way. House Elves streamed from the kitchens, hacking at the enemy. He saw Gully fell a Death Eater more than three times bigger than himself. A snarl behind him made him spin round – it was Greyback, the werewolf Death Eater who'd attacked Bill Weasley the previous year. Brandishing his sword, he lashed out at the beast, who launched himself at Neville – only to be pushed off course by a red jet of light.

He looked round to see Ron Weasley, his wand already raised again, and together the two boys beat back the monstrous creature, Ron Stunning him at such close range he was unlikely to get up again. 'Thanks mate,' panted Neville.

'Don't mention it,' said Ron, kicking the unconscious body. He reached down and grabbed Greyback's wand from the pocket – the werewolf obviously preferred to fight with his fangs and claws. 'Here,' he handed it to Neville, then turned to Stun another Death Eater.

Screams and flashes drew his attention to the centre of the Hall, and his heart clenched up once again as he saw Ginny, Hermione and Luna all fighting Bellatrix. For a moment he froze. Surely this evil witch wouldn't take away someone else he loved? A Killing Curse missed Ginny so narrowly he thought for a moment she was hit, but as he lunged forwards another fighter launched herself at Bellatrix. It was Molly Weasley, fighting like a miniature tornado. Hermione, Luna and Ginny were pushed back into the crowd by the force of the battle between the two women.

Close by, Voldemort was still fighting. The joint forces of Kingsley, McGonagall and Professor Slughorn were barely holding up against his fury. Everyone was left standing uselessly, spectators, unable to intervene for fear of hitting their own side. The two evilest of their enemies fought on, even as the last of their troops were overpowered, or ran away.

Neville's heart was thumping harder than at any other point in the Battle. Several times he raised his wand, ready to strike at Bellatrix, but the speed of the duel between her and Ron's mother was such that he couldn't get a clear shot. Mrs Weasley fought with a fierce intensity that seemed impossible for such a dumpy, ordinary looking woman, but Bellatrix was a vicious and powerful foe. He didn't see how the mother and housewife could possible defeat Voldemort's most trusted lieutenant.

'What will happen to your children when I've killed you?' shrieked Bellatrix, full of mad glee. She was dodging around her opponent's curses, apparently without any difficulty. She was actually enjoying it, Neville realised, and once again he raised his wand. Bellatrix continued, 'When mumm's gone the same way as Freddie!'

'You will never touch our children again!' screamed Ron's mother, provoking a gale of hysterical laughter from Bellatrix. The witch's heavy lidded eyes were full of energy, she looked as though she was having the time of her life, and Neville drew back ready to strike as he watched her wand arm raise ready to finish off poor Mrs Weasley.

But before either of them to act, a spell shot in under her arm and hit her in the chest, where her heart would be – assuming she had one. Bellatrix's face froze, her laugh becoming a rictus, and Neville realised she was dead. He watched her fall to the floor, never to torment him or his loved ones again. As her body dropped, he felt his spirit soar. Justice had been done at last.

Voldemort also reacted strongly, but with fury. His anger was palpable, and all three of his opponents were thrown back like paper dolls in a storm, as he rounded on Mrs Weasley with his wand held high. Neville's elation froze as he realised he was about to see his friend's mother mown down in her moment of victory. But before Voldemort could strike, he heard someone shout '_Protego!' _and a powerful Shield charm erupted from nowhere and interposed itself between Molly and Voldemort. As everyone looked around in confusion for the caster, something incredible happened.

From thin air, an arm and a head appeared, and then the whole of Harry Potter, as he cast aside his Invisibility Cloak. Harry, standing, living, breathing. Screams and gasps echoed around the Hall. Neville could only stare, open mouthed, unable to believe his eyes. He remembered Harry's words – 'no, this is something else… I might be out of sight for a while'. His friend had been telling the truth, he hadn't sacrificed himself after all. It was all part of his plan.

'I don't want anyone to help,' called out Harry, as he circled his lifelong foe. 'It's got to be like this, it's got to be me.'

Neville watched open mouthed, along with the rest of the Hall, as the boy and the man circled round each other, not fighting yet, but speaking. He listened as Harry, not sounding at all afraid, not the hesitant, poor public speaker he knew, described how he'd died to save the lives of those around him. 'You must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?' asked Voldemort haughtily.

'I believe both,' replied Harry calmly, and Neville's heart leapt again. Harry must have found the thing he'd been searching for the in the castle, the weapon and secret magic that Dumbledore had taught Harry about the year before.

'I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!' Voldemort was crowing, but again Harry kept that look on his face, of calm confidence. He looked almost amused, as though he was in on a joke that Voldemort couldn't comprehend.

'You thought you did, but you were wrong,' replied Harry. Neville stared, thoughts whirling through his head. He remembered that awful night, fighting, being felled. Lying on the floor semi-conscious, seeing the Death Eaters fleeing overhead. Harry's horror and distress afterwards. It couldn't have been faked, could it? The funeral, the white tomb – was it empty? Was Dumbledore with them still?

'Snape wasn't yours,' Harry was saying. 'Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you stared hunting down my mother. And you never realised it because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle? Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all his life, from the time when they were children.'

If Harry had just announced that Snape was a secret burlesque dancer he couldn't have been more surprised. 'Snape' and 'love' weren't concepts he put together. As for Snape loving Harry's mother, the mother of the boy he'd always hated and treated with such cruelty… The thought that Snape had been on their side along, it seemed impossible. This was Snape, the enemy he'd fought all year, who'd allowed the Carrows to torture first years, who'd bullied Neville mercilessly from the day he started school, the man who had killed Dumbledore!

But as Harry and Voldemort continued their war of words, now going on about some flawed plan he didn't understand, and the Elder Wand – something he'd thought was just a fairy story – he began to piece together what Harry was saying. He remembered all the times Snape had saved Harry's life – he remembered Harry himself bitterly enumerating them in the days after Dumbledore's death. He remembered how Snape had punished him, Luna and Ginny so leniently when he caught them stealing the sword. He thought of all the times they'd failed to catch the DA when he'd been sure there was evidence that would lead them straight to them. He thought of Snape's warning to him, before his Gran was attacked…

The tension in the air was growing, and Voldemort was looking more and more aghast whilst Harry's voice and bearing had an unmistakeable note of triumph. 'So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?' Harry said, so softly he could only hear because of the deadly quiet in the Hall. 'Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does…. I am the true master of the Elder Wand.'

Baffled though he was, he sensed the finality in Harry's words. Both raised their wands together and screamed out words in unison. '_Avada Kedavra!' _were Voldemort's, whilst Harry's was his favourite '_Expelliarmus!'_

There was a massive bang and a flare of flames, and then Voldemort's wand was spinning through the air towards Harry, and Voldemort's body was falling backwards to land on its back with a surprisingly little thud. Harry caught the wand and stood over his vanquished enemy, both wands in his hand, looking just the tiniest bit surprised.

It was all over.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – After the Battle

Neville was living in a strange dreamlike world. He felt as though he had gone past a barrier of tiredness and was now running on some sort of stored energy, which made everything seem slightly unreal. Voldemort was dead. Harry wasn't. Snape was dead, but had been on their side after all. Bellatrix was dead, as was Rodolphus. He was a sort of hero. He had a big sword that he wasn't quite sure what to do with.

Incredibly, the House Elves had rushed straight back to the kitchens and rustled up a feast. Neville had sat and eaten it, with people sitting around him asking him questions in an awestruck, respectful way that made him feel rather fraudulent. 'Harry was incredible,' he said to everyone who'd listen. The only bit of pride he'd allow himself was an occasional, 'I always knew he'd come back and fight.'

As time had gone on, the feast had been demolished and people began to leave for their homes or for beds in the castle. McGonagall, who seemed to have become _de facto_ Headmistress, made it clear that anyone who wished to was welcome to stay at the school. A delegation of Order members had departed for the Ministry, Fleur Weasley returned shortly after to let everyone know that Kingsley Shacklebolt had been appointed interim Minister for Magic.

The castle was in ruins around them, and the dead were still laid out, now at the top of the Hall, a respectful distance away. Voldemort's corpse had been put in a separate room, away from the others. The dead Death Eaters had been put into an empty classroom. His Gran had departed for St Mungo's with some of the injured, but not before she'd hugged him and told him his father would have been very proud.

'You look rather good with a sword,' said someone, sitting down next to him.

He jumped and turned to see Luna. 'Um… thanks,' he said, not sure how to take the compliment.

She smiled and nudged him. 'You were right all along, about Harry coming back.'

'D'you know, I got so used to saying it, it lost all meaning,' he said, able to be honest for the first time in what felt like forever. 'I could only really think about getting through the next day.' He looked towards the back of the Hall. 'A lot of people died, Luna.'

'I know,' she put a hand on his arm, and he felt rather alarmed. 'But they died heroically.'

'They're still as dead though. Like Colin… he was so young. I'll have to tell Dennis.' He swallowed hard at the thought.

'We'll tell him together,' said Luna at once, and he felt a rush of gratitude for his friend.

They sat quietly for a moment, Neville gazing at his half-finished food. 'They're letting the innocent people out of Azkaban,' Luna said softly. 'So hopefully I'll see Daddy again soon.' She didn't sound as positive as normal, and he looked at her face and saw anxiety there.

'If anyone can survive Azkaban in one piece, it's your Dad,' he told her warmly. 'He'll just have told the Dementors all about Snorkacks and his latest theories about corruption.' Despite his words, Neville didn't feel nearly as confident as he sounded. He thought of his own parents, and knew that strength of mind and spirit was not necessarily sufficient protection against evil. Suddenly a thought struck him. 'Why don't you both come and live with me and Gran for a bit? I know your house got blown up, and we've got two spare rooms, so you'd be welcome. Then if he needs a bit of help getting back on his feet, well, Gran's a good Healer.'

Luna gave a cry of delight and she flung her arms around him and planted a kiss on his cheek. He felt his face flame red and almost knocked over his goblet. 'I always wanted a brother, Nev. I think sometimes when we want things hard enough, life finds a way of providing them.'

Embarrassed, he tried to extricate himself as fast as he decently could. Fortunately he was saved from thinking of a reply by Ginny, who arrived at that moment looking pale and tear stained. She'd spent the feast so far with her family. 'Hi guys,' she said, giving a wan smile. 'I thought I'd come and see you for a bit.' She sat down next to them. 'Nev, you were amazing – when you pulled the Sword out of the hat and killed the snake – Ron was telling me that You-Know-Who's soul was in the snake or something.'

Neville spread his hands. 'I don't really know. Harry had just told me to kill the snake if I got a chance, so I did it. If I'm honest, I still don't really get how he came to win – all that stuff about wands. I never even realised the Elder wand actually existed.'

'The ownership of the Elder wand was truly Harry's, I think that was it,' said Luna. 'Mr Ollivander taught me a lot about wand lore whilst we were locked up. It's all very complicated and I'm not entirely sure I followed Harry's logic.' She shrugged. 'Still, whatever the reason, the main thing is that we won.'

'I still can't believe that evil greasy git Snape was actually on our side,' commented Ginny, absentmindedly playing with a strand of Luna's hair.

'Or that he was in love with Harry's mother – pretty gross,' said Neville, shuddering slightly. He was very glad that Snape hadn't been in love with _his _mother.

'I think it's rather lovely,' said Luna dreamily. Neville just shook his head. Luna turned to Ginny. 'I'm so sorry about Fred.'

'Yeah, me too,' said Neville, immediately embarrassed again.

Ginny nodded and sniffed. 'It hasn't really sunk in properly. I keep seeing George and looking round for Fred, and then remembering all over again. Mum is in a really bad way.'

'But she was incredible, fighting Lestrange like that. I must thank her, when it's a better time.' He saw Ginny's blank expression. 'It was Bellatrix Lestrange who tortured my parents,' he explained.

'Oh, of course,' said Ginny. 'I still can't believe Mum fought like that – I've never really thought of her as being powerful or talented. I know she used to do a lot of duelling when she was younger, before she had us, but you never really believe your own parents can do stuff like that.' She looked around the Hall. 'Has anyone seen Harry recently, by the way?'

'He went off for some time alone,' said Luna.

Ginny looked even sadder, but nodded again. 'Maybe he's gone to Gryffindor, I'll go and see if I can find him. I'll see you soon, guys.' She wandered away, passing Professor McGonagall who was approaching them looking purposeful.

'Longbottom, Miss Lovegood,' she greeted them. 'Most impressive, both of you. It is a shame you aren't in Gryffindor, Miss Lovegood. You certainly displayed enough bravery. And as for you Longbottom, you inspired us all. You were the turning point of the battle, Gryffindor himself wouldn't have done better. Now if you aren't too tired, there is a job I was hoping you could assist me with? It's a little delicate.'

'Of course, Professor,' said Neville at once, getting to his feet. He felt glad to have a purpose again. 'Luna?'

She nodded and rose. 'I need to take my mind off Daddy,' she said, following McGonagall out of the Hall and into the grounds.

Spring sunshine was everywhere, the sky was blue, and birds were singing. The grounds were still in a terrible state, and as he looked back at the Castle, he saw it was in a bad way. Two of the towers had fallen, and one side on the ground floor had been blown away. Many windows were broken and everywhere there were signs of damage where spells and giants had crashed into the walls.

'We'll have to rebuild, of course,' said McGonagall, following his gaze. 'Any students or families who wish to assist would be welcome. We want everything to be back in order in time for September. I hope that some of the students who've missed out on their education this year will rejoin us. Yourself included, Mr Longbottom.'

'Well, maybe,' he said, blushing. 'I haven't really thought that far ahead.'

'Where are we going, Professor?' asked Luna.

'To retrieve the last of our fallen comrades,' said McGonagall, approaching the Whomping Willow that stood in the grounds. 'He must take his place among the heroes.'

Neville was baffled, but Luna said, 'Professor Snape.'

'Indeed,' said McGonagall, levitating a twig with a flick of her wand, and using it to poke at the base of the tree's trunk. The branches, which had been doing their best to swat at McGonagall, froze in mid-sway. 'Follow me,' she commanded, ducking under a trembling bough.

They found that there was a passageway leading from below the tree's roots. They squeezed their way inside and followed their teacher down the narrow earthen tunnel. 'Potter informed me that Professor Snape fell in the Shrieking Shack,' she called back over her shoulder. 'This passageway leads directly there.'

The passage sloped steeply upwards and they found themselves entering a small, wooden building. There was a sweet, sticky smell in the air and as Neville emerged to stand beside McGonagall he found there was blood everywhere, seeping in a great puddle from the shrunken body of a figure dressed in black. Luna gave a little gasp and gulp as she looked around.

McGonagall stepped forwards to the body of Snape, and leant over as Neville had done for Colin, and closed his eyes. 'You and I stood together for many years, Severus,' she said, in a voice shaking slightly. 'We often didn't see eye to eye, but I always believed that in your own way you had the best interests of students at heart. I watched you work to protect them, even to protect Potter, the boy you so disliked.

'I am sorry that I believed the worst of you, when they told me you had killed Albus. It was something that hurt and shocked me deeply. I am glad that you were a better man than we believed all along, even though it has come too late for me to acknowledge it to you. I know you have lived in pain for many years, deep emotional pain, and I hope that now your pain is gone.'

She stepped back, her face rigid, and Luna stepped forwards. 'Professor Snape, although you were often an unkind man, you did love Mrs Potter. I hope that now you are with her. Thank you for looking after my friend Harry.' She made a strange sign in the air, and both she and McGonagall looked expectantly at Neville.

Unsure of what to say, he cleared his throat and looked down at the bloodless sack that had once been the Potions Master. Snape had made his life a misery for years. Even now, seeing him dead and discarded, he found it hard to feel anything other than dislike. He knew the fact of Snape's efforts for the side of good, but that didn't change the years of bullying, the way he'd treated a terrified eleven year old school boy. It didn't change the way he'd described Ginny and Luna's supposed deaths in such chilling detail, or the gleam of enjoyment in his eyes as he'd done so.

In the end he simply said, 'Rest in peace,' which was the most he could manage. Snape may not have been a minion of evil in the way they'd thought, but nevertheless in Neville's opinion Snape had done plenty to needlessly add to the misery quotient of the world.

Moving the body was rather awkward due to the amount of blood. It seemed to get everywhere, and Neville saw Luna nearly gag several times. He wanted to get her out of there, and felt silently resentful towards Snape for being so messily dead. He doubted Snape would have afforded Luna the same loving care had the tables been turned.

But finally they got him back to the Great Hall, now nearly empty. McGonagall moved to put the corpse next to Colin Creevey, but Neville insisted they laid him out at the other end, besides two older Order members. He didn't think Colin would have wanted to be in the vicinity of the cruel former Headmaster even in death.

McGongall wiped her brow and thanked them both. 'You should be getting to bed now, goodness knows what time it is. You both look exhausted.'

'We will, Professor, but there's something I need to do first,' said Neville solemnly. 'There's a boy in Hogsmeade somewhere wondering when his big brother's coming back. I need to go and tell him that Colin isn't going to come back.'

The teacher waved this away at once. 'Nonsense, Longbottom. I am the boy's Head of House, I should do it.'

Neville shook his head. 'Thanks Professor, but I want to do this myself, if I may. I was the leader of Dumbledore's Army, it's only right I should go and do it. I wouldn't feel right to hide away in the Castle while someone else told him.'

For a moment, McGonagall opened her mouth as though to argue, then closed it again. Eventually she patted him on the shoulder. 'You're not responsible, Longbottom, you understand that? The only people responsible are the Death Eaters.' She sighed, seeing the determination in his face. 'You need to be careful walking to Hogsmeade, there may still be Dementors in the grounds.'

'We're good at Patronuses, and I'll take the Sword,' he replied, then hesitated. 'I mean, if that's all right, Professor? I suppose it isn't mine really.'

She picked up the ruby encrusted hilt and pressed it gently into his hand. 'I think you're more than worthy of it, Longbottom.' She seemed unable to say more, so gave him another awkward pat on the arm, and walked off to where Filch was standing with a broom, staring rather hopelessly at a pile of masonry.

Luna slipped her arm loosely through Neville's, and he smiled at her. 'I'm glad you're with me, Luna.'

'I'll always be here when you need me Nev, there's no war to get in the way now.' She squeezed his arm. 'No war, Nev, it's all over. It's really and truly all over.'

Sunlight streamed in to the windows of the Great Hall, and the enchanted ceiling showed a blue sky, despite a crack along the middle. A group of medics from St Mungo's had just removed the last of the bodies. Ginny, worn out from crying and with nothing but emptiness left, broke away from the family group and headed towards a lone figure sitting facing the windows, blonde head supported on her interlocked figures.

When she drew near, Luna half-turned to her. 'What's the betting Fred has already pulled several tricks on Professor Snape up in heaven?'

Ginny managed a smile. 'He would consider it his duty. And Colin would have been there to cheer him on.'

'And Professor Lupin would have pretended not to have noticed so he doesn't have to be cross.' Luna reached out and put an arm around her friend, and the two embraced.

'Is there any news of your Dad yet?' asked Ginny, not wanting to think too much about Fred, even if he was in a better place, alone without George.

'Apparently they are taking a little while to work out who is innocent and who isn't. They don't want to release anyone they shouldn't. Professor McGonagall says once the innocent people are released, they'll be taken to St Mungo's for an examination. I wanted to go there, but apparently it's rather busy, what with the battle, so I've got to stay here and wait.'

'I'm sorry,' said Ginny, squeezing her tighter.

'It's only a few more hours, what's that when we've been apart for five months?' Luna didn't sound convinced.

'Will you still be staying with Bill and Fleur?' asked Ginny suddenly, remembering that Luna's house was nothing more than a ruin.

'Neville's asked me and Daddy to stay with him and his Gran. Shell Cottage is quite small and I think Bill and Fleur would probably like to have some time alone again. Hopefully Daddy can get the _Quibbler_ going quickly and we can build somewhere new soon.'

They stared out of the window together. Suddenly Ginny said, 'Luna, what do we do now?'

Her friend turned to look at her. 'Do?'

'Yes. I mean, our whole lives are ahead of us. That's… terrifying.' She watched a team of wizards gathering around the fly-ridden corpse of a giant. Judging by the amount of head scratching going on, none of them knew how to move it. 'The future seems so huge, all of a sudden.'

She waited for Luna to say something reassuring, but the other girl surprised her. 'I know what you mean. When the war is going on, you can't think of much except the war. When it stops, everything has to be rearranged.'

'Yeah. I mean, I know we have to rebuild. But _how_? What do we actually do, every day? Tomorrow seems like a brick wall. I can't see how our family can ever get over losing Fred. I can't imagine Hogwarts getting rebuilt, or coming back to school again.' She looked desperately at Luna, who always had the answers, even if they weren't the ones she'd expect.

Luna considered carefully. Eventually she said, 'I think the trick is not to think too much about it, just to sort of get on with it. That's what Harry does, after all, and he's just managed to defeat the Dark Lord. So maybe we should take a leaf out of his book. Just think about the next day. Every day is new.' Suddenly her face lit up. 'Look.' She pointed into the grounds, to the left of the group of wizards. 'Can you see?'

Ginny followed her friend's gaze, screwing up her eyes. At first, all she could see was some charred wreckage, then a movement caught her eye, and just for a moment she saw something. It was no more than a fleeting glimpse, but she had an impression of gauzy wings, a long tube-like beak, and rainbow coloured feathers. She turned to look at Luna again, eyes wide with wonder.

'A Blibbering Humdinger,' said Luna with satisfaction. 'They like burnt things. You often find them around the embers of old bonfires.'

'I didn't think they were real,' breathed Ginny, straining her eyes for another glimpse.

'Hardly anyone does, but you've seen one now.' Luna smiled at her. 'Well, I suppose we should go to bed. I imagine all this rebuilding will be rather hard work. Ravenclaw Tower has fallen down, so shall I come up and share with you?'

Ginny nodded, and the two friends left the Great Hall arm in arm.

The topmost boys' dormitory was full of snores. Ron Weasley had smuggled Hermione – fully clothed – into bed with him. Harry had dozed off with his glasses still on, a half-eaten sandwich on the floor beside him. Seamus and Dean were lying facing each other across the gap between their beds, presumably having been chatting until the moment they fell asleep. It looked rather odd to see everyone asleep with the sunlight barely concealed behind the thick velvet curtains. The dust mites shone in the air.

Neville quietly stepped over the robes strewn across the floor, and placed the Sword of Gryffindor on top of his trunk. Trevor, who had miraculously stayed put in his pocket throughout all the excitement, poked his head out and Neville released him onto his bedside table. Trevor began crawling around exploring, as though nothing had happened, and Neville smiled for the first time in ages. 'The whole world has changed, but you're the same as ever, aren't you Trev?' he said affectionately to his pet.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and took a very deep breath, blowing it out slowly as he surveyed the room. The quiet made his ears ring and reminded him of when he'd first escaped to the Room of Requirement. That had only been two weeks ago, but it felt like a lifetime. Neville carefully removed his shoes, and peeled off his socks. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of his feet. He was going to have make bathing more of a priority again.

Exhaustion suddenly swept over him, dragging down at his every thought. His eyelids drooped. Colin's dead face flashed across his memory. Then Harry, standing over Voldemort's body. Luna, pinned down as they fixed her leg. Harry, supposedly dead, sagging in Hagrid's arms. The look on Bellatrix Lestrange's face at the second she died. The malevolence in Voldemort's eyes as he faced him down. The clean bright blade of the Sword of Gryffindor slicing through the snake's thick body. Ginny, sobbing over the body of her dead brother. Ron and Harry embracing, faces alight with wonder at their victory. Dennis Creevey's lost expression as Neville explained how Colin had died a hero's death.

'S'been a busy night, Trev,' he commented, removing his filthy robes and discarding them on the floor. He left his underwear on in respect of Hermione but didn't have the energy to find pyjamas. Across the room, Harry stirred in his sleep, before settling peacefully on his pillow again, glasses askew. Somewhere in London, people were making decisions about the future of the world. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the man whose hand he'd shaken less than twenty-four hours earlier, was now Minister of Magic, presiding over a scarred and broken society. And in the morgue of St Mungo's, their former friends and comrades were lying, never to enjoy the freedom they'd given up everything for.

He shook his head to dispel the images. It was too much to think about all at once. It would take time to process everything that had happened, and even more to deal with the aftermath. But just for now, for the first time in weeks, he could allow himself to relax. His eyes no longer able to stay open, Neville Longbottom fell into a well-earned deep and dreamless sleep.


End file.
